Warriors' Path State Park

The park takes its name from the Great Indian Warpath, a Native trail system that ran from New York into Alabama and passed along the Holston here. The Cherokee, Catawba, Iroquois and other peoples used it for trade, travel and war, and Tennessee State Parks calls it the Great Cherokee War and Trading Path. Long Island of the Holston, a few miles away, sat on the same path. The park's own account invites visitors to picture Cherokee warriors, settlers and railroad workers on this ground.

The state opened the park in 1952 on land acquired from the Tennessee Valley Authority, mostly farmland before. It wraps around Fort Patrick Henry Lake on the South Fork of the Holston and covers roughly 1,000 acres. Duck Island can be reached on foot. Along the trails you can still see grades and culverts from the Charleston, Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad, chartered in 1886, which was never finished after the company went bankrupt.

The Overlook, Backbone and Rock City trails climb for views over the ridge, the Boneyard Trail is known for spring wildflowers, and the Sinking Waters Trail is recommended for wetland and meadow species. About 120 bird species have been recorded in the park. A mountain-bike trail network has been named a National Recreation Trail, and the marina rents canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and pedal boats. A golf course opened in 1972.