Trip Report-Tweetsie Trail

Barry Griggs reporting
Trip date: September 28, 2014

On a warm, but comfortable Sunday afternoon our hike began at the trailhead at the intersection of Legion Street and Alabama Street in Johnson City, TN. The parking lot at the trailhead was overflowing, but parking was available in other nearby gravel areas. The trail is obviously very popular with walkers, runners and bikers, especially on weekends, as we were never out of sight of one or more people. With two cancellations and one no-show, this became a Griggs/Metcalf family hike. My wife Beverly and I were joined by our daughter, Jill Metcalf and her husband, Josh Metcalf. We walked out two miles and back to make it a four-mile hike. The trail has markers every 0.2 miles, so it’s very easy to make the walk/ride whatever distance you like. The finished portion of the trail from JC to Elizabethton is 4.5 miles. It should be a very easy walk for most anyone, with a slight uphill grade when returning to JC. The trail is a very nice addition to our region.

Tweetsie Trail Survey

The “Rails to Trails” effort between Johnson City and Elizabethton is seeking input on the development of the greenway.  A simple eleven-question confidential survey (link) asks about several aspects of a greenway; and there are a few optional fields which can be used for comments.  If you enjoy other similar trails in the area (Virginia Creeper, Guest River Gorge, or New River) or city greenways (Kingsport Greenbelt or Erwin Linear Trail), then please help define this project by taking the survey.  It will take less than five minutes of your time.  For more information, check the official project website.