About Us
Friends of Warriors’ Path State Park, a group of concerned citizens, decided to help the Park by establishing a non-profit organization to improve, protect, and preserve Warriors’ Path State Park through user ideas, funding, and volunteer labor. It is important to note that any money you give to Friends goes directly to benefit Warriors’ Path State Park.
Park facilities such as the golf course, campsites, and rentals do generate revenue; however this money goes into the state’s overall budget for all TN State Parks. Monies returned to the Warriors’ Path budget are not adequate to meet current or future needs for maintenance and improvements. And that is where Friends comes in – to provide to the Park for things beyond just the operating budget.
Our Purpose
Mission Statement
The Friends of Warriors’ Path State Park (FOWPSP), Inc is a 501c3 non-profit group. It is an organization wholly devoted to conserve the Park’s natural resources and to maintain and improve the purpose of providing assistance in the preservation and improvement of Warriors’ Path State Park. The Friends group allows people to give something back to the Park that will last a lifetime – a treasured gift for your children and generations to come. Become a part of Friends of Warriors’ Path State Park Friends Group and help us work to: promote and increase public interest in the Park, assist in activities such as trail work and design, maintain Darrell’s Dream Boundless Playground, advocate for ongoing Park repairs, improvements, maintenance and development, and much more.
Our Future
The Friends of Warriors’ Path State Park group is always seeking new ways to improve the park, from beautification and improved recreation to enhanced accessibility and education promotion. Because tourism is so vital to our community, we strive to make improvements that add value and interest to our park. Our hope is that Warriors’ Path State Park remains an important part of our community and attracts visitors who will enjoy their visits and return to enjoy what our park has to offer time and again. Our volunteers are always working on planning and implementing new projects. Interested in participating, sharing your ideas, or becoming a friend? You can check out what we’re doing at our event page, follow us on social media for the latest updates, or learn more about becoming a friend and contact us right here on our website.
What do you know about Warriors’ Path State Park?
…of Tennessee’s 57 state parks, Warriors’ Path remains one the top three state parks most visited each year?…
…the average daily visitation is over 8,000?
…in the summer months, more than one million people visit Warriors’ Path?
What is so special about this northeastern Tennessee park located along the South Fork of the Holston River? Its natural beauty and history are paramount to its attraction. It lies just to the west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and was once a main travel route for the Native Americans and early settlers. The Great Wilderness Road came though Kingsport, and Daniel Boone with a crew of axmen began his trailblazing path to Kentucky from Long Island of the Holston, just downstream of the park.
Also, Davey Crockett was born nearby on the banks of the Nolichucky River.The park was named for its close proximity to a route used by Native Americans to travel between tribes. Early settlers came here in the late 1700s and cleared land for farming crops and for pastureland. In the 1930s the Tennessee Valley Authority began acquiring land along the river, In 1952, Fort Patrick Henry Dam was built, and the river bottom land was flooded. In 1954, the area was deeded to the State of Tennessee, and Warriors’ Path State Park was created.
The park encompasses approximately 1,100 acres at an elevation of 1,643 feet above sea level. Geologic erosion by the South Fork of the Holston River has produced a deep river trench with some towering bluffs over 400 feet high. Several creeks, the largest being Fall Creek and Sinking Creek, drain the park.
Visitors come to the park to enjoy the many facilities such as the 18-hole golf course, soccer fields, fishing, over 15.5 miles of hiking trails, over 11.5 miles biking trails, boating, marina with snack bar, disc golf, campsites, picnicking, group shelters, nature programs, annual events, festivals, and much more.
A key feature of the park is the 3-acre Darrell’s Dream Boundless Playground. The playground is a unique space designed to accommodate children and adults of all abilities. Read more about Darrell’s Dream Boundless Playground here.
During the last 50 years, native forest has returned to the area replacing the farm fields. The park’s forest is now dominated by cedar, dogwood, oak, pine, poplar, beech, maple, buckeye, sycamore, elm, walnut, redbud, and includes many more species. Lake shoreline and open fields also make up part of the landscape. A study in the 1980s identified over 550 vascular plant species within the park’s boundaries. Wildlife such as red and grey fox, raccoon, deer, muskrat, beaver, mink, over 250 species of birds, many species of fish, and a wide range of reptiles and amphibians call the park home.