Home > Feature Stories

Where to Ride: Hot Laps at Tannery Knobs Mountain Bike Park in Johnson City, TN

trail review at tannery knobs mountain bike park shows off the rock garden drop in on their black diamond trails
5 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

This summer, we took an epic mountain bike road trip, stringing together three different Eastern Tennessee trail networks in three days. Between Knoxville, Windrock, and Johnson City, there were a wide variety of options for every type of rider. Here’s Part Three, where we rip off the laps at Tannery Knobs Mountain Bike Park…

What’s most amazing about Tannery Knobs is, well, OK, there are three things: It’s right downtown in Johnson City, TN; it has trails for every skill level, age and ability; and it’s extremely well built with room to grow. For a small town like JC, this is a big resource. And a huge source of pride among local riders. There’s also a ton of other outdoor and family friendly things to do nearby, gravel riding through forest roads, and a healthy craft beer and restaurant scene. There’s more, but first, let’s check out the trails…

Tannery Knobs Mountain Bike Park ride review

Tannery Knobs opened in Summer 2019, which had us riding it just a couple months after tires first hit dirt here. But you wouldn’t know it from the quality of singletrack, smoothness of trail, and well-built rock structures, berms and jumps. Which is why it paid for them to have IMBA’s Trail Solutions come in and build the park, using that firm’s massive experience to craft a road trip-worthy destination trail.

tannery knobs bike park trail map

All of the trails start and finish at the parking lot, which is at the top of the bike park. It’s a steep drive up, but short. Which helps put into perspective just how much trail they’ve crammed into their 40-acre footprint. And this is just Phase One…more trails are planned.

ride review of the rock garden drop in at tannery knobs mountain bike park in johnson city tennessee

After a warmup lap on the green loop, our guide put the hammer down and simply said “trust me”. A little unsettling at first, it turns out the trails are built for flying through them. The turns and berms are positioned just right. The table tops and landings are spaced perfectly. It just rewards riders who like to push things a bit. All without alienating first timers. It’s the perfect spot to bring newbies and kids to learn because they can take a lap on their own while you bust out a fast one on more technical trails. And then everyone meets back up at the same spot.

natural rock offers great technical mountain biking at tannery knobs bike park

Another great thing about Tannery Knobs is the ground. It’s mainly (virtually all) shale, so it drains wicked fast. We drove through a torrential evening downpour on our way into Johnson City, scheduled to ride around noon the following day. So much rain that folks were stopping under the overpasses and flat, grassy parks had puddles. But the trails? Totally rideable, and mostly dry. I think we hit two tiny little puddles.

the ground is mostly fast draining dry shale at tannery knobs mountain bike park in johnson city tennessee

There’s also a bit of natural rock they built around, which makes for fun technical riding and a bit of variety. And the man-made rock sections, like that drop-in shown top of post. It all adds up to a mix of beginner friendly “green” trail, all the way up to “black” rock sections and tabletop jumps.

The only road to the top is the paved entry from town, and you’ll want to drive slow as you come off the main road because there are a few quick, successive turns that Google Maps can’t keep up with. A couple U-turns later we got it right. The point is, there’s no way to shuttle yourself to the top, you gotta ride back up. Which is fine, nothing takes too long. The descents are just long enough to flex your nerves, and the climbs are just long enough to push your legs. As with any trail, go faster and you amplify either experience.

The Ibis Ripmo AF once again proved a great partner. Plenty of travel for nailing the jumps and taming the rock sections, but efficient enough to get right back up to the top. Onza Tires and Industry Nine also supported this trip, and both proved a great choice for the terrain. We used the new enduro version of the Gwin-designed Aquila, and it gripped perfectly. Full review of both tire and wheel coming soon.

Where else can I ride in Johnson City?

velosolutions pump track at tannery knobs mountain bike park

At the top of the hill is a paved pump track built by VeloSolutions, which is just off the Tannery Knobs parking lot and trailheads. It’s also a great spot to see…

tannery knobs mountain bike park overlooks the ballpark so you can watch fireworks from above the parking lot
Bring a cooler and picnic and hang out after your ride. On home game nights you’ll get a unique vantage point for the fireworks!

…Fireworks. The parking lot overlooks the Johnson City Cardinals’ baseball field, and after home games they shoot fireworks into the air. But from this spot, you’ll still be looking down on them!

You can also see Buffalo Mountain, home to the 750-acre Buffalo Mountain City Park. Which is where Trail Solutions is doing a feasibility study for new mountain bike trails. That area also has gravel and dirt roads. Climb Forest Road 188 to a fire tower, then drop down Trail 29 for an aggressive descent on your mountain bike. Or hit Forest Road 87 (Big Creek Road) for more gravel bike riding.

trek store group rides in johnson city tennessee sometimes go mountain biking at tannery knobs bike park

The local Trek Store puts on several group rides, including a Bikin’ & Eggs Saturday Morning ride sponsored by Bojangles. And a monthly Taco Tuesday ride that ends at Holy Taco where all of-age participants get a free beer!

What else is there to do in Johnson City?

meet the mountains outdoor festival in johnson city tennessee

If you time it right, there’s the Meet The Mountains outdoor festival, where you can demo mountain bikes, paddle boards, One Wheels, and more. And check out the numerous local craft breweries and food trucks all in one spot, catch live music, and check out a lot of outdoor brands’ latest bits.

The nearby town of Erwin has rafting on the Nolichuckee River; it’s just 15 minutes away, and the Appalachian Trail passes through it. Trail Solutions is reportedly building new singletrack there, too. There’s sailing in nearby Watauga Lake, and the Tweetsie Trail is a 10-mile Rail Trail. Check in with the Visitor’s Center and they can point you to hiking, fly fishing, rafting, tubing and plenty more, mostly within 20-30 minutes of downtown. In other words, the mountain biking here is great, but it’s also a perfect home base for more outdoor adventures. It’s only an hour from Asheville, NC, too, so it’s a great day trip if you want to ride somewhere new.

Kids looking at colleges? Johnson City’s 67,000 population swells when ETSU is in session, and the campus has singletrack, too. Sounds like it should be on the shortlist. Summers are hot and humid, winters can be cold, but there’s not a ton of rain or snow to keep you from getting out on the trail. That said, late summer through October is probably the best time to visit.

best restaurants in johnson city tennessee
Food photos courtesy of Johnson City CVB.

Links & Resources:

Check out Part 1 (Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness trails) and Part 2 (Windrock Bike Park) for more great riding in Eastern Tennessee!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

5 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
JH
JH
4 years ago

Outstanding article.

JBikes
JBikes
4 years ago

Looks so nice, especially compared to my anti-biking state. Kudos to everyone involved.

Daaron J Rudloff
Daaron J Rudloff
4 years ago

Trails are so short they can all be ridden in 25 minutes, but it is well made and groomed. Just too small that I myself get bored here.

KFF
KFF
4 years ago

Cue the haters saying IMBA only builds boring beginner trails in 3 … 2 … wait a minute…

GT
GT
4 years ago

The road climb up either side of Buffalo Mtn was always a favorite of mine, scenic, just about the right length and the way down either side is fun and fast but not technical. Also a bit of shade on a muggy Tennessee summer day.

That hotel they stayed at is really nice and a good place to eat. Don’t underestimate a simple cheeseburger box from the Cook-out next door though…

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.