Blackberry Blossom Farm: Unicoi: TN.
Super short hike. Adorable little farm. Sweet amenities.
The Hike. This hike is on private property, so before you go, call or email Ed or Janice Honeycutt at http://www.blackberry-blossom-campground.com/Home/home.php and let them know you are thinking of coming! They will greet you at the entrance like you are their nephew or niece home from college and then, for a small fee, you can spend an afternoon taking a short hike on one of their trails (.5 or 1 mile), watching your kids catch frogs in the pond, or looking at all the sweet little items for sale in their little store. Their campground is one of our favorite places to camp. It's great for groups of friends and it's great to go out alone for a quick overnight and stargaze session... It's just 30 minutes or so from Johnson City! The sites are well designed, the bath house is almost hotel-like, and there is a Keurig just inside the camp store with coffee for a dollar a cup (just put it on your tab). Ed and Janice keep lots of gear to rent or borrow if you don't have everything you need... and for a fee they will even set it up for you in advance! Check their website for events because they often have farm dinners or music events in the summer. Finally and best of all, Janice is a licensed massage therapist and I think she is the best around. You can book her in advance and have a massage after your kids are in their sleeping bags... or while they are playing with toys out of the "free to borrow" box in the store (assuming you have another adult to keep an eye out!) I cannot possibly effuse enough enthusiasm for this place!
Directions: Take I-26 E toward Unicoi to Exit #32. Take a left off the ramp, go back over the Interstate, and shortly thereafter, a right onto Unicoi Dr. In .7 mile, make another left onto TN 107 E for 5.6 miles. You will go through the Limestone Cove Recreation Area. Take another left on TN 173 E/Simerly Creek Road, and travel 1.6 miles to another left on Upper Stone Mountain Road and, within a mile or so, look for signs for Blackberry Blossom!
Directions: Take I-26 E toward Unicoi to Exit #32. Take a left off the ramp, go back over the Interstate, and shortly thereafter, a right onto Unicoi Dr. In .7 mile, make another left onto TN 107 E for 5.6 miles. You will go through the Limestone Cove Recreation Area. Take another left on TN 173 E/Simerly Creek Road, and travel 1.6 miles to another left on Upper Stone Mountain Road and, within a mile or so, look for signs for Blackberry Blossom!