Why Don’t You Take a Hike
Opportunities for hiking and walking in Roane County are abundant, with a variety of trails that can range from flat and scenic to hilly and ultra-challenging. One of the most popular hiking venues in this part of Tennessee is Bacon Ridge Trail, which spans 3.4 miles and offers maps that point out potential wildlife viewing spots along the way.
Those wildlife sightings can include small reptiles and mammals like lizards and raccoons, as well as various species of birds. It is certainly not out of the ordinary to spot a red hawk, bright red cardinal or purple marlin during an afternoon of hiking along Bacon Ridge.
At Roane County Park, the 1.5-mile trail not only accommodates walkers and joggers, but bicyclists, birdwatchers and inline skaters. The park has options for swimming, canoeing, fishing and boating, and there is also a small children’s playground.
Kingston's City Park, on Watts Bar Lake and Highway 70, offers two children's playgrounds, tennis courts, sand volleyball, a basketball court, boat ramps, docks and more. Nearby is the Betty Brown Memorial Walking Trail, a scenic greenway that winds for more than three miles along the lakefront.
Paved bike trails at Ladd Landing - an 800-acre waterfront development in Kingston - lead to nature preserves throughout the residential community. Rarity Ridge also has scenic walking and biking trails that wind throughout 100 acres of parks and woodlands.
Spectacular views can be seen from atop Mount Roosevelt near Rockwood. Parking is available, and some nature trails are open for hiking or mountain biking, except during hunting season.
All public trails throughout Roane County are open year-round during daylight hours, and admission is free.
