Jackie Steffan Osceola Island is an island in the middle of the South Holston River, a few miles south of Downtown Bristol. When Andy and I were dating, this was a favorite hike of ours to take when we were short on time. It was also the first hike we took our dog on! A few years later, we found out there is another hike close-by, the South Holston Spillway Trail. While Osceola Island gives you great views of the South Holston River, the Spillway Trail gives you great views of the South Holston Lake.
Osceola Island is a short, flat 1.5 mile loop, just below the South Holston Dam. You get great view of the two weir dams on either side of the island and on a good day, catch views of dozens of fly-fisherman on one of the best trout rivers on the east coast! We always see a lot of birds and waterfowl on this trail. It’s a great one for beginners and families.
About a mile and a half drive further up the road is the South Holston Spillway trail. This trail is longer and a bit steeper, but still a good one for beginners. The trail is 3.5 miles total and well groomed because it also acts as a road when forest rangers need to access the spillway. This trail is best done during fall-early spring, when less leaves are on the trees. When less leaves are on the trees, you get much better views of the lake for a longer portion of the trail.
Getting There
From I-81
- Take exit 69 to Blountville and continue on TN-394 for 13 miles, driving past the Bristol Motor Speedway
- Turn right on US-421 and drive 2.9 miles on this road
- Turn right onto Emmett Rd, stay right on Emmett Rd at the fork. You’ll cross over the South Holston River and there will be a paved parking area on your left with signage for Osceola Island
- To get to the Spillway trail, continue on this road past the Osceola Island parking lot for another mile. At the stop sign, turn right onto S Holston Dam Rd and a small parking area for the trail will be on your right about a half mile up this road. There are a few picnic areas on the left, this is not your trailhead, keep going. If you hit the dam, you’ve gone too far.
From Downtown Bristol
- Take US-421 South for about 3.5 miles
- Turn right onto Emmett Rd, stay right on Emmett Rd at the fork. You’ll cross over the South Holston River and there will be a paved parking area on your left with signage for Osceola Island
- To get to the Spillway trail, continue on this road past the Osceola Island parking lot for another mile. At the stop sign, turn right onto S Holston Dam Rd and a small parking area for the trail will be on your right about a half mile up this road. There are a few picnic areas on the left, this is not your trailhead, keep going. If you hit the dam, you’ve gone too far.
Osceola Island
From the parking area, take the bridge over the river to Osceola Island. This is the start of the loop. You can go either direction, but if you go to the left, there are number signs counting your mileage for you. Follow this path around the island. You’ll eventually get to the weir dam on the other side of the island. Continuing on, there is a fork in the trail, if you go left, you’ll reach another section of the trail completing the 1.5 mile loop, but if you go right, you get back to the bridge for a slightly shorter hike. This area is also great for picnics, fishing, and spending a sunny afternoon outdoors. There are also plenty of cut-throughs from one side of the island to the other if you want to make it even shorter.
South Holston Spillway Trail
Just up the road from Osceola Island is the South Holston Spillway trail. From the ~6 car parking area, walk around the gate and continue on the gravel road for 1.75 miles. There aren’t any side trails, so this should be an easy hike to follow! There are some views of the lake on your left, especially on the second half of the trail. At the end of the hike, there is a hill down to the lakeside. There is a large grassy area (assuming the lake isn’t extremely high) with the lake on your left and the spillway on your right. We’ve been when the water was almost at the same level as the grassy area, and other times where the water was very low, like in the picture below. This is another great spot for a picnic, fishing, and soaking in a sunny afternoon. Once you’re ready, turn around and head back to the trailhead.
When you are back to your car, you can also continue on S Holston Dam road and drive over the dam. There is a picnic area at the top, but overall it’s a cool experience to drive over the dam!
