August and September are prime mountain biking months in Northeast Tennessee.
While our region boasts year round biking access, this time of year is great as the summer heat cools down right before the leaves begin to drop. So grab your bike, helmet, water bottle, and let’s hit the trails!
We are fortunate to have trails all throughout the Tri-Cities! Did you know that mountain biking greatly contributes to our rural economy here in Appalachia by boosting tourism via outdoor recreation, creating industry jobs, and increasing property values? People travel from all around the country, and world, for well known biking trails throughout Appalachia. Here are a few of our favorite trails found right here in our region.
Winged Deer Park
The mountain biking trails at Winged Deer Park span roughly five miles from beginner levels to steeper blue climbs and even a black diamond, Roll the Bones. Fun Fact: All of the trails are named after Rush songs. And if that doesn’t reel you in, right across the parking lot entrance, you can take a dip in Boone Lake!
Tannery Knobs
Tannery Knobs Mountain Bike Park is biking distance from Downtown ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ. With 40 acres of wooded terrain, these trails are fun, flowy, and not for the faint of heart. The pump track up top is great for skills practice. As your confidence grows, the surrounding trails are narrow in spots and filled with berms, rocks, and roots, offering all the fun, gnarly features you crave to improve your mtb skills!
Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium
Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium is a wonderful place to get outdoors and explore. For a longer connecting, cross-country mix meets gravel trail system throughout the woods, this is your go-to. And, you can take a slow and steady climb up to the Bays Mountain Fire Tower for incredible views, and make it a loop for new scenery all the way through. There are 40.3 miles of trails to be ridden, just make sure to grab a map and respect which trails are open to bikers and those reserved for wildlife viewing and hiking.
Steele Creek
Steele Creek Park in Bristol offers a variety of trails from beginner levels to advanced. While you can make your own loop out of a beginner’s trail, you can just as easily level up to some of the toughest, most tactical climbs around. If steep, rocky cuts, pedal-in-motion without touching down appeals to your style, this park is a great testament to the endurance of the sport. Steele Creek Park has just under 25 miles of trails.
Hampton Watershed Trails
The Hampton Watershed Trails are a network of fun, flowy, trails that parallel the Doe River. It’s a great system of terrain shaded with tree coverage with the option for steeper climbs and fun downhill sections. With around five miles of trails, the Watershed boasts some of the region’s favorite singletrack riding. We’d even go as far as calling it “The Cat’s Pajamas!â€
Unaka Bike Park
Unaka Bike Park is less than a mile from Downtown Erwin, boasting over 10 miles of biking trails. What sets these trails apart from others in the region are the berms, flowy sections, and jumps. These trails are built and maintained for all skill levels and make for smoother climbs and well-groomed terrain in most of the sections.
More of our favorites: ETSU Mountain Biking Trails, Warriors Path State Park, TVA MTB Trails, Sugar Hollow Park, and Paint Creek.
Check out these local bike and rental shops: Local Motion, Reedy Creek Bicycles, The Bike Shop, Trek, and Hampton Trails Bicycle Shop.
Please practice Leave No Trace ethics when out adventuring on designated trails and respect the wildlife.
