Elizabethton Parks and Rec provides summer activity, programs

This story is featured in the June 17, 2026 edition of Healthy Living. Visit our Special Sections page to read the whole magazine. ELIZABETHTON — There are lots of temptations out there to keep you from following through on your resolution to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Fortunately, there are also some friends and allies ready to back you up. One of those can be the community parks and recreation department. The Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of ways to help citizens develop their healthier lifestyle, from athletic competition in organized leagues, to maintaining facilities like walking and biking, to special programs to help break away from the normal pressures and distractions of life. Programs One example of such a special program is "An Unplugged Afternoon by the River", which will take place on Sunday, July 26 from 2-5 p.m. at the Covered Bridge Park. That event encourages participants to step away from screens, slow down and take a deep breath. It offers "no technology, just presence, nature, music and community." The parks and recreation department is partnering with Carrie Maggard of the Yoga Farm to present the event, where the sounds of the internet and cell phones will be replaced with the sound of the Doe River, soft acoustic music and discussions between individuals and groups. People may bring along a book to read, needlework, crochet, a sketchbook or journal or other crafts — or simply bring yourself and watch what is going on in the park. The rest of the year, the department has more structured programming, especially in making sure the community has well organized athletic leagues for some competition. That includes, skilled umpires, referees and scoreboard operators. There is also maintenance staff to make sure the playing area is in safe and secure shape, whether the game is on grass or on a gym floor. In the fall, there is co-ed kickball, co-ed volleyball and flag football leagues. In the winter, there is co-ed volleyball, men's open basketball and women's open basketball. In the spring, there is co-ed volleyball and flag football. For those interested in the new and growing sport of pickleball, the parks and recreation department is also expanding opportunities to compete in that sport. Biking trails There are other opportunities for bicyclists in the city. The first big improvement came a decade ago, with the creation of nearly 10 miles of the Tweetsie Trail from Legion Street in Johnson City to Hatcher Lane in Elizabethton. This was a rails to trails project completed in 2014, and several local organizations are involved in its creation and maintenance. The current Tweetsie Trail is essentially two separate parts. It begins in the western end of Johnson City, following the old rail line of the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad. Like most rails to trails routes, the trail is pretty flat. It is made up of two very different parts. The section from Johnson City through the western section of Carter County is quite scenic, crossing over the Elizabethton expressway on an old railroad bridge and through the rural sections of Cedar Grove and Milligan. It even offers a bit of history as it winds past the spot where Milligan College students once got off the trail to walk the rest of the way to the school. The second part of the trail goes through the urban part of Elizabethton. Walkers explore the Tweetsie Trail. The rales-to-trails project follows the former East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad right-of-way. JOHN THOMPSON/SIX RIVERS MEDIA The current portion of the Tweetsie Trail is owned by Johnson City, which purchased the right of way from railroad company Genesee & Wyoming. Carter County has approved a master plan which would eventually extend the trail to Hampton. This would be another scenic portion, going through an 1880s railroad tunnel, a new pedestrian bridge over the Doe River that is built to resemble a railroad bridge that once crossed in the same location. Another new treat for bicyclists is the Hampton Watershed Bike/Hike Trail. Unlike the Tweetsie Trail, this is hilly and previously undeveloped 238 acres of land that the city of Elizabethton bought in 1935 to protect its most important watershed. About 15 years ago, a group of Boy Scouts began building a bike trail on the property. There are now 3.5 miles of trails, climbing 500 feet in elevation. There is also The Elizabethton Linear Trail. It is approximately six miles long from Eastside Elementary School to Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area. The Linear Path follows the scenic Doe River through the heart of Elizabethton and then follows the Watauga River westward downstream to the Shoals. With several great fishing spots, convenient bike racks, picnic tables and benches along the way, the Linear Path provides a scenic walk or bike ride through Elizabethton's most beautiful spots. Upcoming proposals In the summer, there is usually the Franklin Pool. Unfortunately, the pool has been closed for more than a year as the facility is being repaired and upgraded. When it opens later this season, the staff promise warmer water and other upgrades. There has also been discussion in recent years of developing athletic facilities on the Watauga and Doe Rivers for aquatic sports like canoeing and kayaking. Those discussions are part of a proposal called Surf Betsy. But even if you are a solitary exerciser, a walker or jogger with no need for competition, the parks and recreation department might just have an incentive to help keep your interest up. The department may bring back a program called "Walk Across Tennessee." The program will chart your progress as you continue to walk or jog. It will compare your data with the state of Tennessee, which is 539 miles from Mountain City to Memphis. As you continue to click off the miles in your exercise regimen, you can see how far you have gone if you had not been making turns. Or, you could just figure out how many laps you would have gone at the Bristol Motor Speedway.