Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium
Park
410 acres7.4 mi of trail
Azalea TrailLakeside TrailCliffside TrailTowhee Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: AppalachianCentrist · CC BY-SA 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Kingsport
10% of Kingsport’s land is conserved: 3,281 acres
The biggest trail networks: Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium (7.4 mi), Borden Park (1 mi), Riverbend Park (0.5 mi). 40 miles of mapped trail cross Kingsport, 0.7 per square mile of land. 854 acres are parks and preserves, 15 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 71% of U.S. towns · #16 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
3,281 acres · of 53.1 sq mi of land
Trails
40 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
854 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
59%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
25 mi
7.8 mi lanes · 17 mi paths
Highest peak
2,116 ft
Cherry Knobs
Lakes & rivers
4
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Kingsport?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Kingsport have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Kingsport is ahead of 71% of U.S. towns, #16 of 177 in Tennessee. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Kingsport’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical TN town 1% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (40 mi) · TN 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (854 acres) · TN 10 · U.S. 13BParks close to home59% of residents within a half mile of a park · TN 42% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 71%
LessMore
Tennessee towns of 2,500+ (177)Ahead of 91%
Few Tennessee towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Kingsport’s 10% is ahead of 88% of Tennessee towns, while its trails per square mile lead 94% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. 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 Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium, with 7.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Riverbend Park
Park
26 acres0.5 mi of trail
Riverbend Park Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Brickyard Park
Managed by City Of Kingsport
36 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 16 parks & preserves
Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium410 acres · 7.4 mi of trail
Borden Park19 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverbend Park26 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverfront Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHighland Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJ Fred Johnson Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBrickyard Park36 acres · City Of Kingsport
DirectionsDomtar Park31 acres · City of Kingsport
DirectionsAllandale Mansion26 acres · City of Kingsport
DirectionsCloud Park12 acres
DirectionsRiverwalk Park5 acres · City of Kingsport
DirectionsRiverview Splash Park5 acres
DirectionsWarriors' Path State Park3 acres · Tennessee State Parks
Dogwood Park2 acres
DirectionsRotary Park2 acres
DirectionsCentennial Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,281 conserved acres
10% of Kingsport’s land. Who manages Kingsport’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation2,852 ac
Town or city399 ac
Private owners22 ac
Regional agency3 ac
Other state land3 ac
State Conservation Area · 2,852 acLocal Park · 425 acState Park · 3 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bays Mountain Park Designated State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 2,852 | Restricted |
| Kingsport Greenbelt Local Park | Town or city | 63 | Open |
| Domtar Park Local Park | Town or city | 52 | Open |
| Brickyard Park Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Kingsport Sports Complex Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Eastman Park At Horse Creek Local Park | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Allandale Grounds Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Riverbend Park Local Park | Private owners | 21 | Open |
| Riverfront Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Borden Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
26 places to go in Kingsport
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Kingsport
Riverfront Playground
DirectionsPlus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Kingsport
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Kingsport
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Kingsport
Cliffside OverlookIn Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium
DirectionsObservatory OverlookIn Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium
DirectionsPlus 4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Kingsport
Cherry Knobs2,116 ft elevation
DirectionsRocky Hill1,378 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
10 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.1 mi
Lakeside Trail2.1 mi
Azalea Trail1.2 mi
Cherry Knobs Trail0.8 mi
Riverbend Park Path0.6 mi
Orchid Trail0.4 mi
LK0.4 mi
Bear Run Trail0.3 mi
Indian Pipes Trail0.2 mi
Cliffside Trail0.1 mi
Towhee Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
25 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
17 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
30Baseball
28Tennis
8Soccer
5Football
4Basketball
3Tracks
2Equestrian
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →20 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 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Wills-Dickey Stone HouseBuilding
About itNetherland Inn and ComplexBuilding · listed 1969
About itPreston FarmBuilding · listed 1971
About itMount IdaBuilding · listed 1973
About itJ. Fred Johnson HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itYancey's TavernBuilding · listed 1973
About itChurch Circle DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About itSpring PlaceBuilding · listed 1973
About itClinchfield Railroad StationBuilding · listed 1973
About itOld Kingsport Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itBoatyard Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About it8 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Kingsport: April to June
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 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 87 | 86 | 82 | 71 | 60 | 50 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 4.1 |
October is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.8 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Kingsport →
Next door
Kingsport and its neighbors
Kingsport 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsport | 10% | 0.7 | 15 | 59% | B+ |
| Colonial Heights | 10% | 0.6 | 76 | 40% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Kingsport
Where can I hike in Kingsport?
The longest trail networks: Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium, 7.4 miles; Borden Park, 1 miles; Riverbend Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Kingsport is conserved land?
10% 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 Kingsport’s trails?
Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium and Borden Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Kingsport?
25 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.8 of painted or protected lanes and 17 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Kingsport?
5,151 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Kingsport or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 854 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Kingsport have?
Ahead of 71% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #16 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 Kingsport 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 →