Persimmon Ridge Park
Persimmon Ridge Park is owned and managed by the city of Jonesborough as a recreation facility. Several hiking trails are available through the woods along the ridgeline.
<googlemap lat="36.2875" lon="-82.503" type="terrain" zoom="15" scale="yes" icons="http://tehcc.org/clubwiki/kml/marker{label}.png">
http://tehcc.org/clubwiki/kml/Walter_Hopkins_Trail.kml
http://tehcc.org/clubwiki/kml/Luke_Carter_Trail.kml
http://tehcc.org/clubwiki/kml/John_Tomko_Trail.kml
36.2912, -82.4989,Persimmon Ridge Park (G) 36.28548, -82.5038,PRP Walter Hopkins Trail (G) 36.2883,-82.4986,PRP Luke Carter Trail (G) 36.28928,-82.50333,PRP John Tomko Trail Trailhead behind baseball fields (G) 36.28928,-82.50333,PRP John Tomko Trail Trailhead behind baseball fields (G) 36.28432,-82.50753,PRP John Tomko Trail Trailhead at Luke Carter Trail </googlemap>
How to get there
From Kingsport, TN
- Take I-26 south to Exit 17 (Boones Creek Rd/Jonesborough).
- Right at bottom of ramp and travel just over six miles to Jonesborough.
- Right at traffic light onto US-11E for two miles.
- Turn left onto Persimmon Ridge Road.
- Then quickly right into the main park entrance.
Parking depends on what trails you are taking and whether it's baseball season or The Wetlands waterpark is open.
Auto GPS address is 1523 Persimmon Ridge Road Jonesborough, TN 37659.
Trails
| Trails | Distance |
| PRP Browning Lane Trail | 1.0 mi |
| PRP John Tomko Trail | 1.0 mi |
| PRP Walter Hopkins Trail | 1.0 mi |
| PRP Luke Carter Trail | 0.7 mi |
All listed trails are easy rating with nature base (versus paved). Could not find Browning Lane although listed on Tennesse Greenways & Trails site. The last three trails are named for the BSA Eagle Scouts who led their construction as respective service projects. newpaper reference.
A typical hiking route per a veteran walking a bulldog is to park at eastern end of Luke's Trail, hike it over to start of Walter's Trail, up and around, then over along the gravel road to the ballfields and finally cut back to parked vehicle. The distance can be extended, but heading west on gravel road to catch John's trail up to the water tower and back down along the trail itself.