Summertime Outdoor Activities are Abundant in Kingsport

Paddle on the Lake at Warriors’ Path

Warriors’ Path State Park is a local gem, offering outdoor activities too numerous to count. Among them are lake activities like kayaking, paddleboarding, and pedal boating on Fort Patrick Henry Lake. A new marina is currently under construction, so in the meantime, rentals are available at the Recreation Center at Duck Island. Single kayaks can be rented for $8 per hour, tandem kayaks for $11 per hour, paddleboards for $10 per hour, and pedal boats for $10 per hour. Life jackets are provided. Call the park office at 423-239-8531 for more information.

Ride the Barge at Bays Mountain

gem, offering outdoor activities too numerous to count. Among them are lake activities like kayaking, paddleboarding, and pedal boating on Fort Patrick Henry Lake. A new marina is currently under construction, so in the meantime, rentals are available at the Recreation Center at Duck Island. Single kayaks can be rented for $8 per hour, tandem kayaks for $11 per hour, paddleboards for $10 per hour, and pedal boats for $10 per hour. Life jackets are provided. Call the park office at 423-239-8531 for more information.

Swim at the Kingsport Aquatic Center

If hot weather makes you yearn to dip into a refreshing pool, the Kingsport Aquatic Center has just what you need. The center’s outdoor water park is open through September. The water park features two waterslides, a water playground with a climbing structure and water cannons, a 900-foot-long, 3-foot-deep lazy river, changing rooms and lockers, and concessions. Admission varies depending on whether you choose a day pass, a membership, or a season pass:

• Pick up a day pass on-site for the day of purchase. Children up to 2 years old get in free with a paying adult, youth under 48 inches tall get in for $10, adults $12, and seniors (55+) $10. After 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and after 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, admission is half price!
• Buy a membership. Monthly and annual memberships are available and include access to all indoor and outdoor pools as well as early access to the outdoor water park every day except Sunday. See the Admissions page for membership prices.
• Buy a season pass. A season pass allows admission to indoor and outdoor pools May through September and early access to the outdoor water park every day except Sunday. See the Admissions page for season pass prices.

Splish and Splash at the Splash Pad

For hours of enjoyment while staying cool, the Riverview Splash Pad is ideal, especially for small children. Located at 1101 Martin Luther King Blvd., the Splash Pad is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. As a dynamic, zero-depth aquatic play area, the Splash Pad features a safari theme, including surface water jets, a snake head water spray, run-through loops with water jets, rotating water cannons, buckets that dump water from a tower, and a palm tree with water jets. Restrooms, a shade canopy, and park benches are available for a comfortable experience, as well as picnic tables, shelters, and more. For more information, call 423-224-2489.

Ride a Horse at Warriors’ Path

The Horse Stables at Warriors’ Path State Park feature two miles of horseback riding trails with scenic woodland views. The guides are friendly and knowledgeable, and the horses are gentle and well-trained, so no experience with horses is required. Thirty-minute and one-hour guided trail rides are available for those 6 and older ($20 per person for 30-minute rides; $30 per person for one-hour rides), and hand-led pony rides are available for just $5 per child. To schedule a ride, call 423-677-0368.

Take a Hike at Your Own Speed

With more than 40 miles of trails, Bays Mountain Park is a great spot for hikers of all skill levels. Some of the more popular hiking trails at Bays Mountain, from easiest to most challenging, are the Chinquapin Trail, which is about 4 miles long and mostly flat; the 5.6-mile Fire Tower Trail, which winds around the lake and through the animal exhibits; and the Bays Mountain Trail, which is 5.2 miles long, is considered moderately difficult, and offers beautiful scenery. Download a free park/trail map before you go. Another great hiking destination is Warriors’ Path State Park, with 12 miles of hiking trails and a variety of attractive scenery to enjoy, including native wildlife and wildflowers. Guided nature hikes are available. Most of the trails at Warriors’ Path are about six miles long and can be challenging. One of the most difficult but rewarding trails here is the Devil’s Bone Trail, which is only about 2.5 miles but takes hikers to ridgetop overlooks and down the valley to Fall Creek. Download a trail map here.

Bring Out Your Inner Child with a Bike Ride

For a leisurely bike ride, visit the Kingsport Greenbelt, a nine-mile linear park that connects neighborhoods, traditional parks, the downtown area, schools, and activity centers. The Greenbelt offers a paved walking/biking path with an abundance of natural beauty. Along your ride, you’ll enjoy lovely views of gentle streams, marshlands, open meadows, and even historic sites. Warriors’ Path also offers a paved path around Duck Island that’s popular among bicyclists. And for those looking for a more challenging ride, the park features 12.5 miles of mountain bike trails with an intermediate rating.

Sleep Under the Stars

Among its many other amazing features, Warriors’ Path State Park also offers 94 traditional campsites, all with water and electric hookups, tables, and grills, and the public bathhouses offer hot showers. Firewood is available for purchase at the camp store. The campground also offers two dumping stations for self-contained RVs and trailer rigs. Check in near the campground entrance. Looking for a more unique camping experience? Check out the park’s Cedar Ridge Hammock Campground! Campsite amenities include water access, a stone picnic table, a fire ring, a lantern hook, and a grill, composting areas for campfire and grill waste, and a bathhouse just a short distance away. Cedar Ridge is a slightly more rustic camping experience that’s popular with groups. The campground was designed and built with recycled or reused materials, plus lumber from felled trees in the park. Nightly rates vary based on date and availability and include a nonrefundable $5 reservation fee. For more information, call 423-239-7141.

Cool Off with a Sweet Treat

It’s hot out there – stay cool with a refreshing treat! Kingsport has several great options for delicious ice cream and shaved ice. Check out Indian Springs Ice Cream & Grille at 5121 Memorial Blvd., offering banana splits, milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches, and more; Bahama Snow & Brain Freeze at 4540 W. Stone Drive, offering 60 flavors of shaved ice, plus Italian ice, ice cream, and candy and fruit toppings; and Beach Hut Shaved Ice at 1535 E. Stone Drive, with dozens of flavors and a variety of toppers (cash only).

This is just a sample of the fun outdoor activities you can get into this summer in Kingsport – get out there and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine!