Most NASCAR fans love spending time outdoors.
In addition to soaking in the sun while watching their favorite drivers on the track, fans like spending time outdoors setting their own pace on hiking and biking trails or just relaxing and taking in all that nature has to offer.
Fans visiting the Bristol Motor Speedway for the dirt race on Easter weekend have a plethora of activities to explore when it comes to outdoor recreation.
STEELE CREEK PARK
4 Little Lane, Bristol, Tenn.
More than 24 miles of walking, hiking and biking trails are available at Steele Creek’s 2,220-acre park that also includes a 54-acre lake and 150 acres of developed recreational area for kids of all ages.
The 20 different trails range in degree of difficulty from novice to expert and span in length from the 454-foot Overlook Trail to the South Ridge Trail that covers 3.13 miles.
SUGAR HOLLOW PARK
23261 Sugar Hollow Road, Bristol, Va.
Sugar Hollow is a 400-acre park that includes several athletic fields and picnic facilities with several miles of trails open to walking, running and biking.
SOUTH HOLSTON LAKE
The 7,580-acre lake spans from Tennessee to Virginia and is operated by the TVA.
About 60 percent of the shoreline is blanketed by the Cherokee National Forest with about 182 miles of the shoreline open to recreational boating and fishing.
A foot bridge from the parking lot below the South Holston TVA Dam leads to Osceola Island along a one-mile nature trail.
The area also includes two mountain biking trails — the 3.1-mile Dam Builders loop trail and the 1.1-mile Yelling loop trail.
WHITE TOP CREEK PARK
310 Sportsway Drive, Bristol, Tenn.
Located across Highway 394 from the Bristol Dragway entrance, White Top is primarily known for its softball and soccer fields. However, the park with easy access to BMS also has a one-mile walking trail and 1.5-acre pond.
CEDAR VALLEY PARK
405 Cedar Valley Road, Bristol, Tenn.
For the true nature lover, Cedar Valley, covering some three acres, allows for nature walks along the calm Cedar Creek.
MENDOTA TRAIL
Mendota Trailhead, 2421 Mendota Road, Mendota, Va.
The trail is a 12.5-mile biking and hiking recreational trail between Bristol and Mendota.
VIRGINIA CREEPER TRAIL
300 Green Spring Road, Abingdon, Va.
On of the most acclaimed trails in the country, the Creeper Trail is a rail-to-recreation trail that spans just over 34 miles from Abingdon to Whitetop Station in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area.
TWEETSIE TRAIL
Intersection of Legion and Alabama streets, Johnson City
The trail is open to walking, hiking, running and biking traverses between Johnson City and Elizabethton.
Future plans call for expanding the trail to 10 miles, which will make it the longest rail-to-trail in Tennessee.
KINGSPORT GREENBELT
The Greenbelt is located throughout the city of Kingsport and provides 18 miles of walking paths, as well as biking trails throughout the Model City.
SYCAMORE SHOALS STATE PARK
1651 West Elk Ave., Elizabethton
The Park offers various trails, dotted throughout with signs explaining the significance of various sites in the park.
WARRIORS PATH STATE PARK
490 Hemlock Road, Kingsport
The 950-acre park offers 12 miles of hiking trails through bluffs and waterways.
The park has over 12.5 miles of scenic and challenging bike trails, which are also open to hikers. The bike trail is part of the National Recreational Trail.
WINGED DEER PARK
4137 Bristol Highway, Johnson City
The mostly-recreational park includes a half-mile walking trail and a paved fitness trail that winds through the forest section of the park.
BUFFALO MOUNTAIN PARK
570 High Ridge Road, Johnson City
The park has eight hiking trails for the serious outdoor lover who does not mind a challenge.
The 725-acre park includes 40 acres of wooded terrain for hiking and trail running.
NATURAL TUNNEL STATE PARK
1420 Natural Tunnel Parkway, Duffield, Va.
The park has seven walking trails, with the longest measuring 2.1 miles.
Most trails in the park are open to mountain biking.