46 official trails lie within 25 miles of Bristol — 334 miles in total, 19 rated easy and 14 hard or expert. Every distance and elevation figure below is computed from the agency centerline and a 10 m elevation model, not crowd-sourced.
The biggest climb nearby gains 2,420 ft; the median trail gains 614 ft.
| Trail | Miles | Climb | Difficulty | Drive from town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Trail | 44.2 | 1,541 ft | Expert | 43 min · 30 mi |
| Chief Benge Scout | 15.6 | 1,960 ft | Expert | 1 h 33 min · 58 mi |
| Feathercamp | 5.5 | 1,094 ft | Expert | 43 min · 30 mi |
| Brumley Mountain Trail | 10.0 | 508 ft | Expert | 41 min · 25 mi |
| Virginia Creeper | 25.3 | 753 ft | Hard | 42 min · 30 mi |
| Iron Mountain | 5.0 | 983 ft | Hard | 41 min · 29 mi |
| Virginia Creeper Trail | 30.9 | 352 ft | Hard | 34 min · 25 mi |
| Beech Grove | 2.9 | 614 ft | Moderate | 43 min · 30 mi |
| Wright Hollow | 3.1 | 876 ft | Moderate | 54 min · 34 mi |
| Little Stony | 3.0 | 739 ft | Moderate | 1 h 33 min · 58 mi |
| Saunders | 3.9 | 417 ft | Moderate | 55 min · 35 mi |
| Buzzard Den | 1.6 | 840 ft | Moderate | 55 min · 35 mi |
| Sugar Hill Loop Trail | 3.3 | 388 ft | Moderate | 59 min · 41 mi |
| Grapevine Hill Trail | 1.3 | 526 ft | Easy | 1 h 10 min · 41 mi |
| Spearhead Trails - Trail 1A (Green) | 1.5 | 309 ft | Easy | 1 h 07 min · 43 mi |
| "Through the Pines" 5K XC Course | 2.3 | 57 ft | Easy | 48 min · 33 mi |
Waterfalls: Grapevine Hill Trail to Big Falls
Summits: Chief Benge Scout to High Knob; Brumley Mountain Trail to Turkey Knob
Lakes: Chief Benge Scout to Bark Camp Lake
Mountain passes: Appalachian Trail to The Cuckoo; Chief Benge Scout to Edith Gap; Brumley Mountain Trail to White Rock Gap
Nearby towns: Johnson City (23 mi) · Mount Carmel (29 mi) · Richlands (38 mi) · Big Stone Gap (38 mi)
All Virginia trail guides · Hiking by city · Dispersed camping rules