Laurel Creek Trail

File:Placeholder.jpg Trail Name Laurel Creek Trail Park Cherokee National Forest Nearest City Mountain City State Tennessee Trail Marking Trail Use/Features Template:Bike Difficulty Rating Easy Hiking Time 1.5 Hours0.0938 Days <br />90 Min <br /> Distance: round-trip/trail only 6 Mi9.656 km <br /> / 3 Mi4.828 km <br /> Trail Type In-and-Out Climb/Descent Elevation / High Point Parking 36° 35' 57.00" N, 81° 45' 12.60" W Trailhead 36° 35' 57.00" N, 81° 45' 12.60" W Nearest Medical Mountain City Trip Reports Click Here Loading map... {"type":"ROADMAP","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"270px","height":"180px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":8,"layers":[],"controls":["zoom"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":36.59916700000000133741195895709097385406494140625,"lon":-81.753500000000002501110429875552654266357421875,"icon":""}]} Show Large Map

Trail Overview

Short rails-to-trails conversion along Laurel Creek/Highway TN91.

How to get there

From Kingsport, TN:

1. Take I-81 north to Exit 19 for US-58 towards Damascus.
2. Continue through Damascus.
3. Take right (south) when VA-91 and US-58 split.
4. Proceed back into Tennessee to Laurel Bloomery.
5. Roughly 1.3 miles inside Tennessee, the formal parking lot will be on right.

From Mountain City, TN:

1. Proceed north on TN 91 for 9.4 miles to Laurel Bloomery.
2. The formal parking lot will be on your left.

Route Description

Currently a double in-and-out as the parking lot is within the converted rails-to-trail section. Specific distances need to be measured for this wiki.

Nearby is one of the blue-blazed access points for the Iron Mountain Trail, but a VERY steep climb.

Typical Conditions

Trail is a gravel path of the former railroad grade.

Fees, Permits, etc.

Located in Watauga Ranger District of Cherokee National Forest. Office number is (423) 735-1500. No fee to hike the trail, but state fishing regulations apply to Laurel Creek.

After the Hike

Stop in Damascus for ice cream.

Misc. Information

This trail conversion opened in Fall 2014. Long-term plans are to connect in Damascus with the other bike trail systems.

Maps

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