Warrior's Path

By: Mac Mclean | TriCities.com
Published: January 06, 2009

Rangers at Kingsport’s Warrior’s Path State Park hope their location and the state’s designation as having the best parks in the country will work to increase their already high visitor numbers.

The National Recreation and Park Association gave Tennessee its 2007 Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management in October.

“Folks who follow these trends may say, ‘Well, we should check that out,’ ” Park Ranger Marty Silver said, adding his park’s I-81 location makes it an ideal stop for people from the Northeast U.S. who want to see a Tennessee State Park.

Warrior’s Path occupies 950 acres of land formerly owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority near Kingsport. It features a lake, marina and 12 miles of trails for hiking and biking.

The park also features 135 campsites, many of which have water and electrical hookups. Silver said the park reported between 2,400 and 3,100 campsite days a month during its peak season from May to August.

These visitors translate into big business for the park. During the past fiscal year, Warrior’s Path collected $182,600 in campground fees and spent $133,100 providing this service – for a net gain of $49,500.

The only activity at Warrior’s Path to bring in more money last fiscal year was the park’s golf course, which generated $793,100 worth of revenue. But managing the golf course cost the park $810,416 – a net loss of $17,431 for the year.

Silver said Warrior’s Path reported 1.7 million visits last year.

The park does not charge a fee for any other activity it has, nor does it charge an admission fee.

Warrior's Path

Warriors (Added: January 06, 2009)

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