Roan Mountain State Park
Park Overview
Roan Mountain State Park offers 11 trails with a total of 12.67 miles of hiking trails running through forest and some up to overlooks.
How to get there
From Johnson City (I-26 Exit 24):
- Take TN67/US321 over to Elizabethton (about eight miles).
- Turn right/south at traffic light for TN37/US19E/US321 and travel for 17 miles.
- Turn right/south for TN143 for five miles to park visitors center.
- Trailheads are in several places around the park.
GPS address is 1015 Hwy 143 Roan Mountain, TN 37687.
Park Trails
There are several discrepancies between the park trail map, posted trail lengths, and GPS measured hikes. This wiki lists the GPS tracked hike.
The following trails are available in Roan Mountain State Park.
Blue 2, Chestnut Ridge, Cloudland (Roan Mountain State Park), Forest Road, Fred Behrend, Peg Leg Mine, Raven Rock, Ridge Top (Roan Mountain State Park), Riverside, Tom Gray, Turkey Trot
Park Lodging
Park offers RV sites, tent only sites as well as cabins. Sites fill up quickly on most summer weekends. It is ill advised to arrive without a reservation in the summer.
Campground
Camp store sells wood, ice, and some very basic other sundries. The main RV area is blanketed with Wi-Fi but when visiting in Summer of 2015, couldn't be accessed. Several bathhouses are spread around the site and include flushing toilets and hot showers. A dump station for RV's is also available near the camp check-in station.
Tent only sites are built on a course gravel bed so bring your tarps to protect your tent floor and sleeping pads or mattresses for comfort. Each site includes a lantern post, a concrete picnic table, rock lined fire ring, standing grill, water hydrant, and trash can. Note that the tent only sites do not have electrical hookups.
Camp sites of special note:
- 22 & 38 have no tree block separating them (good for groups, bad for others)
- 26 is next to a bathroom with a light and fan on all night
- 33, 35, 36, 37, 39, and 40 are prime sites along the Doe River
Note! As a state park, alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
Other Park Amenities
- Pool
- Playgrounds
- Amphitheater
- Conference center
- Picnic areas
- Pavilions
- Tennis courts
- Shuffle board - in state of disrepair
- Volleyball court
Fees, Permits, etc.
The park has no day use, trail head, or entrance fees.
Camping fees range from $11-$27.50 per night depending on time of year and site amenities plus a $3 per reservation fee and taxes. Reservations can be made at their website.
Cabins range from $85 — $140 per night depending on size and time of year plus a $3 per reservation fee and taxes. Reservations can be made at their website.
Misc. Information
The house at the Miller Homestead was built in 1908 by Nathanial Miller and eventually became the home of his family of wife Sallie and their six children (Eula, Frank, David, Steward, Lloyd, and Carrie). Frank Miller was a State Park on-site interpreter for a time before his death.
After the Hike
After a hike, check out Bob's Dairyland back down in Roan Mountain.
Maps
Photos
Entrance sign
Cabin Playground
Campground Playground
Pavilion Near Campground
Water wheel at Visitor's Center
