Find the top rated hike trails in Norton, whether you're looking for an easy short hike trail or a long hike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a hike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Creeper Trail is still one of my favorite trails. I love riding it from the Abington end and from the Damascus trailhead. Both are absolutely beautiful and well worth the trip.
We parked at the Jane Beshear trailhead. The trail surface is good condition asphalt. We rode about 4 miles south of the trailhead. There was a lot of garbage in the drainage ditch along the trail. On the way back to Royalton we were chased by dogs about one mile south of the trail head. We pedaled about 3 miles north of Royalton. We were chased by dogs again. This is not a safe trail.
My friends and I meet at Lions Field in Elizabethton and take a vehicle to the trailhead in Johnson City where we start our 4 miler. The trail is wide enough for runners, bikers and walkers to navigate past each other safely and easily. The trail is chat/gravel and from the JC trailhead, mostly a gentle downgrade. This portion of the trail is scenic; woods, countryside, stream. The last 6 miles of the trail traverse Elizabethton and are mostly urban. The trail is heavily used, especially on weekends, from dawn to dusk. We do this run weekly and it’s one of my favorite trails.
Started at Johnson City trailhead. Trail descends toward Elizabethton resulting a climb back to Johnson City. The trail surface is crushed stone which is not smooth like hard-packed stone dust, so is a rough ride for road bikes.
Well maintained and scenic trail. Loved the painted mileage markers and the school bus. Stopped at the Dairy Bar on the trail for lunch and hung out in the nice trailside gazebos.
We rode from Damascus to the end of the trail in Abingdon. The weather was sunny and mild, temps were in the high 60’s. Trail conditions were excellent. Traffic on the Creeper was brisk, even on Friday during the school year. This ride completed our previous ride from Damascus to White Top back in 2022. Maybe someday we will be able to ride the east end, a lot of work needs to be done to put the trail back together following Hurricane Helene. Be sure to visit the local stores in Damascus: Damascus Outfitters, Damascus Brewery, Appalachian Heritage Distillery, the Damascus Diner, Damascus Pizza, etc.
We rode the trail from Elizabethton starting in the late morning heading west. Road crossings in Elizabethton were a bit challenging, besides the fact that there are quite a few in a short distance, they come at sharp angles. Have your flashers on and watch the traffic carefully. The remainder of the trail to Johnson City was very nice. I look forward to riding the trail again in the future.
I chose to ride from Swamp Branch to Tip Top Tunnel after reading reviews of not so friendly dogs and less than scenic views at the beginning. I also didnt really want to ride 50 miles. Saw a large flock of turkeys and some deer. I did have a few dogs, but only one chased me until I yelled at him. The path was smooth, with the exception of the sections with lots of walnuts.
I only saw a bathroom at the Jane Beshear trailhead. Clean, but no TP.
Ate a 2nd lunch at the farm at Swamp Branch. Very friendly staff and good food. I said the chicken salad on homemade bread sounded good, but I needed to use their restroom first. I came up to order and she had it ready for me already.
I wish there were more historical markers as I enjoy learning about the history of th area.
There was some trash on the sides of the train, including a broken beer bottle. Someone cleaned the glass up as it wasn't there on my return trip.
The signs posted for distance from Jane Beshear to Tip Top are both incorrect.
This is a very nice trail- the part you can ride as of 9-25-25. The bridge at the 3.5 mile mark is locked off so that is all we could ride from Glade Springs That was quite disappointing. The trail is almost all grass- it was nicely mowed. It had rained for two days prior to our riding so was a little muddy in places but did not detract from the ride. Highly recommend this trail!
On 9/16/25 I was chased twice by a dog at first or second house west of Swamp Branch TH. Fortunately I was able to pedal faster than dog could run. Dangerous for children.
We rode the full length of this trail and really enjoyed it. There is lots of shade through the woods. Signage was great and the views were wonderful. We got off our bikes and spent some time on the suspension bridge, so cool! The path is mostly crushed stone but there is a short stretch next to a hilly road where the rock used was rather large and we decided to just ride the road instead. Overall, a great ride!
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