Hungry Mother State Park (Marion, Va.)
Park Manager Chris Doss said Hungry Mother State Park and its Hemlock Conference Center had an estimated economic impact of $7.2 million last year. The park boasts more than 12 miles of hiking trails, a lake with swimming and boating, 25 small cabins and a six-bedroom lodge. Doss said the park brought in 300,000 visitors last year, 55,000 of whom stayed overnight.
Observation Knob (Sullivan County, Tenn.)
Even after instituting a 14-day maximum stay per site, Observation Knob reported hosting about 400 to 500 overnight campers a month last year. The park cost $125 per week to stay at one of its 150 campsites with water and electric service. Goodwin said the park gets about 2,000 visitors who stop by just for the day to access South Holston Lake or go hiking on one of its trails.
Steele Creek Park (Bristol Tennessee)
Steele Creek Park is the third-largest municipally owned park in Tennessee. It occupies 2,200 acres, including a 52-acre lake. It offers its visitors a nature center with activities scheduled throughout the year, several hiking trails and a 9-hole golf course.
Sugar Hollow Park (Bristol Virginia)
Bristol Virginia’s 400-acre Sugar Hollow Park serves a dual economic purpose because it draws huge numbers and does it to a dense commercial area. City Parks and Recreation Director Bob Childress said youth sporting events at the park’s five soccer and three softball fields attract a wide number of families to the area. He said these people often go shopping at Exit 7 during their breaks.
Natural Tunnel State Park (Duffield, Va.)
Known as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” this park attracted 211,368 visitors last year including 15,726 who stayed overnight in its campsites and cabins. The park’s main feature is an 850-foot tunnel that visitors can visit on a special chair lift. It also features six trails less than 1.5 miles long, campsites and the Cove Ridge Center meeting facility.
Winged Deer Park (Johnson City, Tenn.)
This 200-acre park has been managed by Johnson City’s Parks and Recreation Department since 1991. It features five softball fields, three soccer fields, batting cages, a 9-hole Frisbee golf course and a public boat ramp. The park also has four historic buildings and a special office facility the city uses to house its parks and recreation office.
Bays Mountain Park (Kingsport, Tenn.)
Students from 33 counties in five states have visited Bays Mountain Park to take part in its many educational activities, according to the park’s Web site. The 3,500-acre park boasts a lake and 25 miles of trails. It also features a planetarium and several enclosed habitats for wildlife ranging from snakes to wolves.
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