buffalo mountain park

Good maintained trails for hiking. Several view locations for views of Johnson City and for the Unicoi valley. Picnic areas.

This is a pretty drive up a mountain into an area with picnic tables and a trail. We did not go on the trail because it was raining.

a nice park for a family picnic and a hike go to the top for a great view of the city or take the lower trail and go to the creek it is usually not busy except on the weekends when the dog walkers are there

We were in town for a wedding, Needed a 1/2 day hike, Buffalo mountain was a great place to go, Trail is steep in some areas, good for a little exercise. Our GPS got us a little off course when we were close to the bottom of the mountain. There are no signs at the T intersection near the base, go right, Some friendly people helped us find the road. When you get to the first turn out, don't stop there, take the road to the top, There is a kiosk and parking.

The best hiking spot we've found if you don't want to drive miles outside of Johnson City. There are multiple path options, too much (for me at least) to do in one day, so you can visit 3 or 4 times before you start repeating yourself. Lovely paths with lots of rhododendron, little streams, great views when you get to the top. Moderately strenuous with some fairly sustained climbs so a good workout even though the paths are only 2 or 3 miles long. Also you need to be comfortable crossing single-plank bridges or stepping stones across the stream. Often the gate to the parking lot is closed and parking along the side of the road can be crowded. The path marking is basic -- we took a picture of the hiking map on our smart phone and found we referred to it several times, so you may find that helpful too. This is definitely a woodland hike, not a stroll on paved paths, so you need good shoes and you need to keep your eyes on the path most of the time to avoid tripping over tree routes, but overall it's a great place if you want to hike for an hour or two without driving miles and miles.

The trails are tricky so watch your steps. My husband and one of our daughters and her husband took the 1 mile trail and enjoyed it a lot. It is take about an hour for their hike because of the slippery terrain. They want to go back to try more of the trails again when they visit. Some of the roads were closed so we didn't get to see any of their facilities and the parking was not great. Hopefully when the go again it more areas will be open for us to experience.

My wife and I hiked the "Tip Top" trail recently at Buffalo Mountain Park. The park is located near Johnson City, so it's really nice if you like to hike, but don't want to drive way up into the mountains. The trails are pretty challenging. I have experience on the north Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail, and these trails are quite similar. They are very steep and narrow in some places. I'd certainly advise proper hiking shoes and even some trekking poles aren't a bad idea. The view from the top is worth the climb. Pack a lunch and enjoy it on the picnic table at the top. I'd recommend planning for about 90 minutes up the mountain and maybe 30 to 45 minutes coming down. I would not recommend these trails for small children. All in all, it's a great workout and gives you the feeling of the Appalachian Trail remoteness.

Great for the outdoorsy type! Great picnic facilities as well. Highly recommend it! This mountain has trails for beginners & more advanced hikers.

The Peak of the mount has a view to die for. Not quite Chattanooga but comes in at a close second. There are also plenty of trails which are very fun, yet difficult to hike. I absolutely loved it.