Cliffside Trail

Trail Name Cliffside Trail Park Bays Mountain Park Nearest City Kingsport State Tennessee Trail Marking Signs Trail Use/Features Difficulty Rating Medium Hiking Time 30 Min0.5 Hours <br />0.0313 Days <br /> Distance: round-trip/trail only 1.0 Mi1.609 km <br /> / 0.78 Mi1.255 km <br /> Trail Type Loop Climb/Descent Elevation 373 Ft113.69 Meters <br /> / -373 Ft-113.69 Meters <br /> High Point 2,197 Ft732.333 Yards <br />669.646 Meters <br /> Parking 36° 30' 31.76" N, 82° 36' 34.36" W Trailhead 36° 30' 29.25" N, 82° 36' 39.06" W Nearest Medical Kingsport, TN 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":36.5088209999999975252649164758622646331787109375,"lon":-82.609544999999997116901795379817485809326171875,"icon":""}]} Show Large Map

Trail Overview

Located in Bays Mountain Park. Up and along the ridgeline to a lookout tower.

How to get there

From the main parking lot, head over to the observatory. The unmarked trail heads uphill from here. Alternatively, head up Bays Mountain Road to observation tower and take the trail back down.

Route Description

Short steep hike along the ridgeline with couple of lookout points and up to the observation tower.

Miles	Cliffside Trail	Miles
0.0	Trailhead at Astronomical Observatory (by "Sun" on solar model"). Also first overlook nearby.	0.5
0.1	Overlook near gate on Bays Mountain Road	0.4
0.2	Trail split. Up stairs is older route. Ahead is newer sidetrail alternative shown on park map.	0.3
0.4	Trail split on ridgeline. Down is newer sidetrail alternative shown on park map, while follow ridge to older route.	0.1
0.5	Observation Tower/Junction with Bays Mountain Road	0.0

Typical Conditions

The older trail route is very worn and washed out on steep ascent with stone steps built long ago. Pine needle covered path once up on ridgeline. Alternate route is newer sidehill trail in excellent condition.

Regulations

NO BIKES!

Misc. Information

Selective removal of some trees around the lookout tower would greatly improve viewing year around.

Maps

Loading map...

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class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrailhead near observatory at \"Sun\"\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/File:BMP_Cliffside_Trail_sun.jpg\" class=\"image\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"BMP Cliffside Trail sun.jpg\" src=\"/clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_sun.jpg/150px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_sun.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"/clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_sun.jpg/225px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_sun.jpg 1.5x, /clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_sun.jpg/300px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_sun.jpg 2x\" data-file-width=\"600\" data-file-height=\"800\" /\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Trailhead near observatory at \"Sun\"\n","link":"","lat":36.50815999999999661440597265027463436126708984375,"lon":-82.610870000000005575202521868050098419189453125,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerT.png"},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrailhead at Bays Mountain Road\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Trailhead at Bays Mountain Road\n","link":"","lat":36.5085600000000027876012609340250492095947265625,"lon":-82.6045299999999969031705404631793498992919921875,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerT.png"},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrail splits for old steps and alternative route\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Trail splits for old steps and alternative route\n","link":"","lat":36.50657000000000351747075910679996013641357421875,"lon":-82.608980000000002519300323911011219024658203125,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerG.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EObservation tower\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/File:BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lookout.JPG\" class=\"image\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"BMP Cliffside Trail lookout.JPG\" src=\"/clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lookout.JPG/150px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lookout.JPG\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"/clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lookout.JPG/225px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lookout.JPG 1.5x, /clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lookout.JPG/300px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lookout.JPG 2x\" data-file-width=\"768\" data-file-height=\"1024\" /\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Observation tower\n","link":"","lat":36.50845000000000339923644787631928920745849609375,"lon":-82.6044499999999999317878973670303821563720703125,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerE.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EView from lower overlook by observatory\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/File:BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lower_overlook.JPG\" class=\"image\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"BMP Cliffside Trail lower overlook.JPG\" src=\"/clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lower_overlook.JPG/150px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lower_overlook.JPG\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"113\" srcset=\"/clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lower_overlook.JPG/225px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lower_overlook.JPG 1.5x, /clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lower_overlook.JPG/300px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_lower_overlook.JPG 2x\" data-file-width=\"448\" data-file-height=\"336\" /\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"View from lower overlook by observatory\n","link":"","lat":36.5078800000000001091393642127513885498046875,"lon":-82.6107300000000037698555388487875461578369140625,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerE.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EView from higher overlook along trail\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/File:BMP_Cliffside_Trail_higher_overlook.JPG\" class=\"image\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"BMP Cliffside Trail higher overlook.JPG\" src=\"/clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_higher_overlook.JPG/150px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_higher_overlook.JPG\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"90\" srcset=\"/clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_higher_overlook.JPG/225px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_higher_overlook.JPG 1.5x, /clubwiki/images/thumb/BMP_Cliffside_Trail_higher_overlook.JPG/300px-BMP_Cliffside_Trail_higher_overlook.JPG 2x\" data-file-width=\"448\" data-file-height=\"270\" /\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"View from higher overlook along trail\n","link":"","lat":36.50672999999999746023604529909789562225341796875,"lon":-82.60984999999999445208231918513774871826171875,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerE.png"}]}

The following elevation profile travels from by the observatory up the main trail on the stairs and back down the alternate path.

Photos

• 

  Older steps up Cliffside Trail

• 

  View from higher overlook along trail

• 

  View from observation tower towards firetower

• 

  View from obs tower towards valley

• 

  View from the lower overlook along trail