Winged Deer Park
Managed by Johnson City Parks and Recreation
255 acres6.9 mi of trail
Fly By NightPoplar Ridge LoopThe Kidd, DreamlineYYZ+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Mrgriffter · CC BY-SA 4.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Johnson City
Johnson City has 30 miles of mapped trails, 0.7 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Winged Deer Park (6.9 mi), Civitan Park (1.6 mi), Jacob's Nature Park at Sinking Creek (1.3 mi). 43% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Johnson City’s land is conserved, about 1,057 acres.
Ahead of 52% of U.S. towns · #37 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
1,057 acres · of 43.8 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
771 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
43%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
32 mi
6.0 mi lanes · 26 mi paths
Highest peak
1,542 ft
Rocky Mount
Lakes & rivers
3
4 boat launches
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Johnson City have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Johnson City is ahead of 52% of U.S. towns, #37 of 177 in Tennessee. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Johnson City’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical TN town 1% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (30 mi) · TN 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (771 acres) · TN 10 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home43% of residents within a half mile of a park · TN 42% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 52%
LessMore
Tennessee towns of 2,500+ (177)Ahead of 80%
Few Tennessee towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Johnson City’s 4% is ahead of 71% of Tennessee towns, while its trails per square mile lead 91% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Winged Deer Park, with 6.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Civitan Park
Managed by Johnson City Parks and Recreation
32 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Jacob's Nature Park at Sinking Creek
Managed by Johnson City Parks and Recreation
30 acres1.3 mi of trail
Turtle Ridge TrailThe Minga Path
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Willow Springs Park
Managed by Johnson City Parks and Recreation
36 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Metro Kiwanis Park & Friendship Gardens
Managed by Johnson City Parks and Recreation
26 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Watauga River Bluffs SNA
Managed by Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
58 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Kiwanis Park
Managed by Johnson City Parks and Recreation
8 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 21 parks & preserves
Winged Deer Park255 acres · 6.9 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCivitan Park32 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsJacob's Nature Park at Sinking Creek30 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsWillow Springs Park36 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsMemorial Stadium11 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMetro Kiwanis Park & Friendship Gardens26 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsWatauga River Bluffs SNA58 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
Kiwanis Park8 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsRotary Park14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsLions Park12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsKing Commons Park3 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCarver Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCarnegie Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsPowell Square Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
Keystone Community Center6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsTipton-Haynes Historic Site17 acres · Tipton-Haynes Historical Association
TVA Boone Undeveloped Recreation Area5 acres · Tennessee Valley Authority
Founders Park4 acres · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsLegion Street Rec Center & Pool2 acres · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsNeighborhood Park2 acres · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsVeterans Park1 acres · Johnson City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsWho protects it
1,057 conserved acres
4% of Johnson City’s land. Who manages Johnson City’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city575 ac
Tennessee Valley Authority545 ac
Other state land71 ac
State conservation48 ac
Regional agency1 ac
Not Designated · 545 acLocal Park · 406 acLocal Recreation Area · 169 acState Historic or Cultural Area · 71 acState Conservation Area · 48 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 28 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Not Designated | Tennessee Valley Authority | 545 | Unknown |
| Winged Deer Park Local Park | Town or city | 202 | Open |
| Liberty Bell Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 124 | Open |
| Watauga River Bluffs Designated State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 48 | Restricted |
| Tipton-Haynes Farm State Historic or Cultural Area | Other state land | 45 | Open |
| Thomas B Hager Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Willow Springs Park Local Park | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Civitan Park Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Jacobs Nature Park At Sinking Creek Local Park | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Metro Kiwanis Park & Friendship Gardens Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
41 places to go in Johnson City
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Johnson City
31 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Johnson City
Off Leash Social
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Johnson City
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Peaks in Johnson City
Rocky Mount1,542 ft elevation
DirectionsDisc golf in Johnson City
1 disc golf course without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Johnson City
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
21 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.3 miUnpaved · 2.4 mi
Fly By Night2.1 mi
Liberty Bell Trail1.4 mi
Mountain Express0.8 mi
Panorama0.7 mi
Breakfast Club0.6 mi
Turtle Ridge Trail0.6 mi
The Minga Path0.6 mi
Poplar Ridge Loop0.6 mi
The Kidd, Dreamline0.5 mi
YYZ0.5 mi
11 more trails
Chairlift (Uphill Only)
0.4 miWaterloo
0.4 miHomerun
0.4 miPosse's Club
0.4 miTom Sawyer
0.3 miUpper Freewill
0.3 miRoll the Bones
0.3 miCumberland Braaps
0.2 miBaby Flow (Downhill Only)
0.2 miFreewill
0.2 miRedbud Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
32 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
26 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
44Tennis
23Softball
18Baseball
14Soccer
13Basketball
4Football
4Beach volleyball
3Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →21 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Mountain Branch, National Home For Disabled Volunteer SoldiersNational Historic Landmark · District · listed 2011
About itRocky MountBuilding · listed 1970
About itTipton-Haynes HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itDungan's Mill and Stone HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itRobin's RoostBuilding · listed 1976
About itIsaac Hammer HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itValentine DeVault HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itHenson Hunt HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itMontrose Court ApartmentsBuilding · listed 1980
About itRange, Peter, Stone HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itMartin Kitzmiller HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itKnob Creek Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About it9 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Johnson City: April to June and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 47 | 52 | 60 | 70 | 77 | 84 | 87 | 86 | 81 | 71 | 59 | 50 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.9 |
October is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.9 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Johnson City →
Next door
Johnson City and its neighbors
Johnson City has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson City | 4% | 0.7 | 11 | 43% | B− |
| Elizabethton | 3% | 0.4 | 14 | 74% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Johnson City
Where can I hike in Johnson City?
The longest trail networks: Winged Deer Park, 6.9 miles; Civitan Park, 1.6 miles; Jacob's Nature Park at Sinking Creek, 1.3 miles; Willow Springs Park, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Johnson City is conserved land?
4% of its land, against a typical 1% for a Tennessee town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Johnson City’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Jacob's Nature Park at Sinking Creek (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Johnson City?
32 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.0 of painted or protected lanes and 26 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Johnson City?
9,349 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Johnson City or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 771 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Johnson City have?
Ahead of 52% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #37 of 177 in Tennessee. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Johnson City neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →