Outdoor Activities in Johnson City, TN, Nurture a Community of Fitness Enthusiasts
Between all the food and football, it can be difficult to get people off the couch on Thanksgiving Day, let alone entice them out of the house to run a 5K in cold weather. That was a concern in 2006 among organizers of the inaugural Johnson City Turkey Trot.
Well, despite temperatures in the 20s that morning, more than 700 people participated in the fun run, starting an annual tradition that has grown steadily over years. These days, the Turkey Trot regularly draws nearly 5,000 runners and walkers, along with numerous supporters cheering them on.
At the time of the first event, Karen Hubbs was the director of sports development for the Johnson City Convention & Visitors Bureau, and she couldn’t help but be impressed with the turnout. A few years later, she decided to combine the elements of fitness, friends, family and fundraising through the formation of an organization called The Goose Chase, which helps create and coordinate several outdoor recreation events throughout the region.
“We like to throw a fitness party,” Hubbs says. “We want people to get outside and exercise and see our wonderful area. These aren’t events where you just show up, run and leave. We incorporate music and entertainment to create an atmosphere where people want to exercise and have fun.”
The Goose Chase focuses mainly on running events, ranging from a trio of half-marathons (complete all three for the trifecta) to 1-mile walks. The events contain some sort of entertainment element designed to foster community and bring people together. These include the S’mores Run (with fire pits and s’mores ingredients provided at the end), the Shamrock Shuffle 5K each March, the Jingle 5K in December, and special movie-themed runs such as Star Wars and Harry Potter.
In addition, the organization has started an annual fitness festival promoting a wide variety of activities (including weightlifting and yoga) and launched a walking challenge in 2024 in which teams of four to six people combined to complete a total of 2,024 miles of walking.
“Our biggest focus is to get people exercising, but also to create community,” Hubbs says. “We want people to have encouragement from other people. It creates a bond and friendship when people do this together as a team. I love the fitness aspect, of course, but also the social aspect. People want to exercise but also see their friends and have fun.”
Cycling Community Thrives Here
Cycling offers exercise with a chance to take in even more of Johnson City’s magnificent outdoor scenery. Bike shops in the area provide both the gear needed to enjoy the activity as well as a way to meet other cyclists through regular group rides and community racing events. Well-known brand Trek Bicycle has a location in the heart of downtown and hosts a regular Taco Trek event, which starts at the shop and ends at Holy Taco Cantina. Small businesses are turning their love for the sport into storefronts, too.
“What’s better than riding down a trail or through the woods, and you look around and see all this beauty,” says Johnson City native Bryan Winston, owner of Local Motion Cyclery. “You’re moving at a slower pace than when you’re riding in a vehicle, so you’re really able to appreciate everything more.”
In 2017, Winston renovated a century-old building located less than 100 yards from the head of the 9.6-mile Tweetsie Trail and opened Local Motion, which initially was simply a bike rental business. It has since expanded into a full-service bicycle shop and builder, complete with mechanics on staff. Winston also has opened E-Bikes of Johnson City for electric-bike enthusiasts, and a bicycle pump track for children at the cycling-friendly Cranky’s Pump N Pints taproom.
“We’ve grown like crazy in recent years,” Winston says. “Johnson City has done a wonderful job of making this area known as an attraction for outdoor activities, and we’ve been able to build off that. We see a lot of cyclists and runners and walkers, and a ton of different exercise lifestyles. Local Motion does a weekly ride on the Tweetsie Trail, and Cranky’s holds a 5K group run every week.
“The great thing is you don’t have to be extreme about it. Any type of physical activity helps improve your health. And with all the mountain ranges, lakes, parks and trailways around Johnson City, we’re in a great place to get outside.”
Power to the Pedals
Looking to get on your bikes and ride? Johnson City has you covered with a trio of trail systems that provide options for cyclists of all skill levels. Here are three of the best places for cyclists of all terrains in Johnson City.
Tweetsie Trail: This 9.6-mile rails-to-trail project opened in 2014 and quickly became one of the most popular trails in the region. Named after the “tweeting” sound made by old steam-train whistles, the Tweetsie is constructed of packed rock and is open to walkers and hikers as well as cyclists.
“I’ve seen it grow from day one, and the activity level of people who now utilize that trail is amazing,” says Bryan Winston, whose Local Motion Cyclery is located near the Tweetsie trailhead. “It’s a huge accomplishment by the city in helping people get active.”
Tannery Knobs Mountain Bike Park: Located barely a mile from downtown Johnson City, Tannery Knobs covers more than 40 acres of heavily wooded terrain stretched across two mountains. The trails, which are designed for both beginners and experts, have sections that provide beautiful views of the surrounding scenery.
Tannery Knobbs opened in 2019 as the result of a public-private development in conjunction with the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association. The park has both hand-cut and machine-cut trails (the hand-cut portions better preserve the natural root systems and rock features), along with a paved pump track as well as trails for hiking and running.
Buffalo Mountain Park: There are multiple cycling trails within this 725-acre natural resource area, which is located approximately 3 miles south of downtown Johnson City. The highlight is the Grand Circuit, a 4.5-mile mountain trail that covers three smaller trails and provides some spectacular ridge views.
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