Lost State Scenic Walkway - Downtown
Standing in front of the sign for the park offers a beautiful view of the historic Courthouse in Jonesborough
In the heart of historic Jonesborough, a quiet ribbon of pavement connects its people to parks and playgrounds, museums and theatre. On paper, the Lost State Scenic Walkway is just a trail. Take some time to walk or roll along it, however, you will find its quiet impact on the town.
The Lost State Scenic Walkway is a trail that’s named after one of the earliest experiments in self-organizing in the Tennessee Appalachians. In 1784, Arthur Campbell and John Sevier worked to create a state out of land ceded from North Carolina to Congress. It was short-lived, but that independence still marks the culture of the area.
The downtown portion of the trail is flat and connects us to everything downtown before heading to Barkley Creek Park.
Starting at Mill Springs Park, it winds its way around the historic courthouse, where you can park your bike and explore on foot. There are a few eateries, like Main Street Cafe. Other shops offer a variety of things, from collectibles to local produce.
Traveling along the trail is easy due to the flat paths. You will pass by the historic Jackson Theatre which hosts the Jonesborough Repertory Theatre. You can also catch a variety of movies or live music. There is also a small playground along the trail, hosted by the Jonesborough United Methodist church that kids can enjoy. A big pull for any train lover is the Historic Chuckey Depot. The depot is a railroad museum situated along the tracks which still see freight trains rumble by. You can hear the whistle of the trains as you browse the rail memorabilia. Outside, a bright red caboose is open for you to take a look inside.
The caboose sits outside the Chuckey Railroad Museum, which was saved from demolition in 2011.
After the depot, there's a section of the path that carries you to Barkley Creek Park. Even during this section, there is plenty to look at. The town has done a great job with landscaping the trail. They focused on planting native plants that invite all kinds of wildlife. You have an opportunity to see plants such as Black Chokeberry and Virginia Sweetspire.
When you get to Barkley Creek Park with its pond, you will notice something right away. This park is best accessed by the trail. You can park along the road, but there's a short distance to walk before you get to the pond itself. This patch of green is hard to see from a car, so people who only drive by are likely to miss it.
I chose a bench at the pond to sit and write this post out. My mind wanders to watch as two kids fish in the pond. Excitement breaks out when the younger one snags a fish. After Mom unhooks the fish and tosses it back in, the kids drop their lines with renewed interest. When I paused to stretch my back, we chatted about the weather, fishing, my bike. That’s when I learned that the family comes here all the time. They walk straight out of their door and come fish almost every day.
As they are leaving, the boy drops his line one more time. A few seconds later, he holds a fish up for me to take a picture. I can’t resist: this picture shows what the trail does best. This family shares time together doing something they love, all without needing the car.
He was determined to catch a fish so he could show me.
Zooming out, the trail fits well within Jonesborough as a whole. It’s central location inside the town means that you can reach most of what the town has to offer. During events, most locals know to use the trail rather than trying to find parking downtown. The trail can quickly move hundreds of people after things like Jonesborough Days fireworks or the many parades the town puts on. It connects parks, stores, local attractions, and residences in a way that invites people to walk or bike, rather than drive. The trail represents the best of what makes a trail good. It quietly serves many people in ways that a road never could. You can get exercise and go somewhere useful, all while enjoying the wildlife around you.
The trail has other connections, either new or in the works. The town just recently added sidewalks to connect Depot Street Park to the trail. They are in the works to extend the trail from Mill Springs Park all the way to Stage Road Park in Southern Jonesborough. The big connection that Jonesborough, Washington County, and Johnson City are collaborating on is to connect the Lost State Scenic Walkway to the Tweetsie Trail in Johnson City. Sure, its not much more than a sidewalk right now, but its the foundation that will connect people to the places they want to go. Even now, I see people use the trail today, leaving their home to exercise, and returning with groceries later.
There are some things I see that we could improve with the trail. Some of the connections to the trail have drop-offs that would stop most wheeled users. For bikes, some of the additions are quite narrow. I tend to use the street on those sections, and when I don’t I always dismount around other trail users. But I don’t let these things keep me from celebrating the central role the trail has in Jonesborough.
The trail shows many ways that people and nature can exist together.
As for things we can do right now to improve the Lost State Trail, the biggest things would be to give the Jonesborough Board of Mayor and Alderman a call or send an email to let them know how much you like the trail. Let them know what connections you think would make the trail better.
You can also send an email to Washington County and Johnson City about how excited you are for the trail to connect Jonesborough and Johnson City.
And of course, you can stop by the explore the trail. Personal stories are such a strong way to advocate, and it won’t take long on the trail to find something that resonates with you.
Next time, I’ll follow the trail from Barkley Creek Park into Persimmon Ridge. Here, the trail climbs to beautiful forest paths and connects downtown to Wetlands Water Park, Jonesborough’s premier water park. Until then, hop out of the car and see what your town has to offer by walking or rolling.
Support the Lost State Scenic Walkway
Contact Local Leaders. Call/email Jonesborough BMA and let them know what you like about the trail. Include what you would like to see improved.
Support Region Connections. Reach out to Washington County and Johnson City officials to express excitement about linking the Lost State Walkway to the Tweetsie Trail.
Share your story. Visit the trail, take a photo, and post about your experience. You can tag us on Facebook or Instagram (@ridejctn).
