Recreation in the Holston River Watershed

The Holston River Watershed (HRW) provides diverse recreational opportunities for those who visit southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee. If you like the outdoors, there is something in the area for you! 

Fishing is one of the primary activities advertised for the HRW. The three forks of the Holston River (North, Middle, and South) provide ample fishing opportunities for locals and visitors alike. Fly fishing is extremely popular, and wild brown trout or stocked rainbow trout are commonly caught (if you’re lucky!). Largemouth bass are also frequently caught in the area but are typically found in lakes and ponds within the watershed. While these are the most common species sought after, bluegills, catfish, crappie, and others can be found depending on location. 

If fishing isn’t your forte, no need to fret! Many trails are available for hikers, bikers, and even horseback riders! The Virginia Creeper Trail provides opportunities for all three of these activities, and is 32 miles long from Abingdon, VA to Mount Rodgers, the highest peak in Virginia. The Appalachian Trail, running from Georgia to Maine, is popular for section and through hikers and a portion of it is found within the HRW in both Virginia and Tennessee. Many state parks are located within HRW, and one of my personal favorites is Steele Creek Park in Tennessee. This park has hiking and biking trails, and a lake with fishing, paddle boating, and kayaking.  

Even if the outdoors isn’t your thing, cities within the watershed contain museums, local events such as concerts, and Bristol Motor Speedway if you are a fan of races. The area provides something for everyone, and if you haven’t visited the HRW, I highly recommend you do! 

My best friend Cooper enjoying time at Steele Creek Park




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Land Use in the Holston River Watershed

The Holston River watershed provides many benefits for humans, but human impacts can lead to damage being done to the environment. This week, I took a closer look at the primary land uses within the watershed and learned about some aspects that can be damaging, and in some cases, what organizations are doing to help.
Read more

Common Trees in the Holston River Watershed

This week we'll be discussing one of my favorite things: Trees! Over the last few months I've been keeping an eye out for tree species while exploring the watershed. Some of them, like tulip poplars and black cherries, can be spotted almost everywhere. Others, like the eastern hemlock, were very common in some places but rarely seen otherwise. I hope if you find yourself out and about in the Holston River watershed you find that some of these trees look familiar.
Read more

Special Threat: Mining

This week I decided to focus on how mining has effected the Holston River Watershed. While the economic stability of the area is important, protecting the precious resources and beautiful, ecologically diverse environment is as well. Mining has occurred for a long time in the watershed, but laws were not put into place until around 50 years ago. While mining still occurs, the requirements are stricter now, and more remediation efforts have been required to help mitigate the environmental damage that mining causes. An additional reference: All photos are stock photos provided by Microsoft 360.
Read more