The trees are green, the flowers are in bloom and there is a warm breeze in the air. Summer has arrived and with it, family vacations! The beautiful mountains of Northeast Tennessee are dotted with vacation spots and loaded with outdoor activities. One of the most traveled and most famous places for summer vacations is Warrior’s Path State Park in Kingsport, TN. Not only does this beautiful park have more activities than a family could do in one day, there is so much history on every acre of the 1,100-acre state park.
Of the 52 state parks in Tennessee Warriors’ Path is the most visited with the average daily visitation of over 8,000 people. During the summer months, people travel from all over the country to visit Warriors’ Path and over a million people visit every summer. The natural beauty and history of this northeastern Tennessee park are what make it so special. Located along the South fork of the Holston River and just west of the Blue Ridge Parkway, this “path” was a main travel route for Native Americans and early settlers. Native Americans would use the path to go between tribes and many times would have small battles on the path.
It wasn’t until the late 1700s that settlers began clearing the forest and turned a majority of the land in the park today to pastureland and began farming it. Native Americans began using the land less and less until finally not at all. In the 1930’s the Tennessee Valley Authority began buying land beside the river and about twenty years later, built the Patrick Henry Damn. The river bottoms and farmlands flooded and the land was deeded to the state in 1954. They then created Warriors’ Path State Park.
On the extensive 1,100 acres can be found deep river trenches and towering bluffs, several creeks and hundreds of species of plants and animals. Not only can visitors admire the history at the park, but there are also many attractions to be discovered. On the grounds is an Olympic sizes swimming pool, an 18 hole golf course, soccer fields, fishing, hiking and biking trails, horse riding trails, boating and marina, disc golf course, 135 camp sites and so much more. The park is also home to many nature programs and annual events, even festivals are held at the beautiful state park.
A schedule for the parks events can be easily found online. If you’re looking for a weekend getaway or a week-long stay, Warriors’ Path State Park has such a variety of activities everyone in the family will be entertained. So get outside this summer!
