4 Fun Outdoor Activities to Enjoy in Kingsport

Spring is here, and it’s time to get outside, and in the Kingsport area there is plenty to do whether you like adventure or something more relaxed. From hiking and biking trails to historic sites worth exploring, you can gather the whole family for a day outside in the sunshine and fresh air. Here are some fun outdoor activities to enjoy in Kingsport.

Explore Exchange Place

Exchange Place is a living history museum with 62 acres of farmland to explore. Visitors can take a walk through the farm to see what life was like for farmers and early settlers during the 1850s. There are buildings to tour including an old schoolhouse, blacksmith forge, and the granary. The main house is also open to the public, along with barns which are home to some unique breeds of chickens, sheep, horses, and cattle. The Exchange Place opens up in May and stays open until October, leaving you plenty of time to get there and check it out.

Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium

If you love the outdoors, Bays Mountain Park is a must see. The city of Kingsport owns the over 3500-acre park which includes over 38 miles of trails for hiking, walking, and biking, and a 44-acre lake. Animal habitats at the park offer visitors a place where they can see bobcats and other native wildlife up close, and if you are really up for an adventure, try the Adventure Course ropes course. This has a 300-foot zip line and lots of climbing features to challenge you whether you’ve attempted a ropes course before or it’s your first time.

GRIP Outdoors

Take advantage of the Holsten River and rent a kayak or inner tube and spend the day floating on the water. GRIP Outdoor offers all-day river tube rentals, or you can take a kayak rental tour for one, two, three, or four hours. If you want to try your luck fishing, GRIP also offers fishing kayak rentals. You can use the shuttle services to and from their location, and they even have floating coolers so you can bring refreshments while you’re out on the river.

Take A Walk Along the Kingsport Greenbelt

The Kingsport Greenbelt is an 8-mile trail that takes you through the city of Kingsport and to the surrounding forest. The whole trail is completely covered in pavement making it easy to navigate and everyone can use it whether you want to walk, run, ride a bike, or even Rollerblade. The trail stays open all year round and if you head here in the spring, you can see all the scenery start to come to life as the weather warms up.

Make sure to check out the wetland preservation area along the trail, two historic sites, and even a natural spring. Bring a lunch and stop for a picnic, or bring the kids to the skate park that you’ll find along the way.

There are many outdoor activities in the Kingsport area no matter what you like to do.

Image by Kristen from Pixabay 

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