Free Outdoor Adventures in Johnson City, Tennessee

For a sleepy little town tucked away in north east Tennessee, there are a number of free things that you can do to fill your time here. This is of particular benefit to the numerous college students that attend Eastern Tennessee State University that might be on a limited budget, but my college years have long since past yet I still take advantage of the great location and numerous activities that are available. Since Johnson City is located at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains as well and nestled along the Cherokee National Forrest, there are a great number of outdoor activities that are accessible to someone that has a vehicle, bicycle, or willing to utilize the public transportation system.

Because of it's location, Johnson City affords a number of outdoor activities including hiking, biking, swimming and fishing. A great location to start is the Buffalo Mountain Park which is located on the northern face of Buffalo Mountain. This park offers an expanse of trails on which you can enjoy the great scenery and wildlife that the park offers. In addition, there are a number of picnic tables and parking spaces for families that are looking for a quiet place to picnic. Here is a great link to a trail map of the park: http://www.johnsoncitytn.org/index.php?page=531. Just be sure to bring along a lot of bug repellent.

Another option is the Winged Deer Park located on Boone Lake. This park offers lake side sunbathing, walking trails and an 18 hole Frisbee golf course among other activities. The park offers a handicap accessible boardwalk along the shores of the Boone Lake as well as a cabana that can be used to fish from. Swimming in the lake is permitted, however there is no lifeguard on duty. There is a public boat ramp available at no charge and no admission is charged to enter the park or use any of the facilities. The fishing is excellent in Boone Lake and an angler can expect to catch large and small mouth bass, brim, catfish and stripers as well. In addition, the park has a sports complex with tennis courts, sand volleyball pits, baseball diamonds, a fitness trail, a playground and horseshoe pits so everyone can find something to enjoy. In June, the park offers a free Lake Side Cinema that is open to the public and shows family style movies on a large inflatable screen.

A more tranquil setting is available at the Veteran's memorial park which has miles of sidewalk open to the public during daylight hours. The park has a pond however the fishing is restricted to members and patients only, but there are plenty of picnic tables and shady spots for a nice quiet picnic in a park-like setting. This park is located directly across from the ETSU campus which also offers a pleasant setting and miles of sidewalk for walking, running or biking. ETSU also has a .64 mile walking/running course as well as soccer fields available for use.

In addition to hiking and picnicking Johnson City offers a number of angling opportunities for the spin fishermen as well as the fly fishermen. The Watauga River has miles of roadside parking and free access to trout filled waters. The Watauga River is a regulated river so it's always best to check the water generation schedule at: http://www.tva.gov/river/lakeinfo/index.htm before you enter the water. In addition, the Nolichucky river is well within driving distance and has a tremendous population of small mouth bass as well as rainbow and brown trout in the upper sections. This river is not a regulated river so it the water levels are much more dependant upon the rainfall amounts.

There are plenty of family oriented and sports activities available in Johnson City and many of them are free. So whether you are looking for a lazy afternoon stroll along the banks of Boone Lake topped off with an evening of family movies, a rousing game of Frisbee golf, or some line stretching trophy trout fishing, you don't have to have a big check book to take advantage of the outdoor activities offered here in the sleepy little town of Johnson City.