Jackie Steffan — 7.0 mile — 3 hours — Moderate — 800′ elevation gain —
Holston Mountain has a lot to offer for hiking and exploring. This trail passes by the Holston Mountain Fire Tower (that cannot be climbed anymore) and ends with beautiful views of South Holston Lake from a rock outcropping at Flint Rock. Our recommendation is to attempt this hike in the winter, when there is less brush and growth along the trail.
Getting There
From I-26:
- Take exit 24 to merge onto TN-67 E/US-321 N toward Elizabethton
- Travel approximately 9 miles, then turn left at the light onto US-19E
- Take the exit ramp on the right onto TN-91 N
- Travel 9.8 miles, then turn left onto National Forest 202/Panhandle Rd
- Parking area is in approximately 4.5 miles to the mountain ridge where the road will split. Note: the road varies between gravel and paved, several large pot holes, and some steep sections and sharp curves during the ascent. This should be possible to make it in a 2-wheel drive car if you take it carefully.
- Small parking lot before a gate is at a large switchback curve in the road, on the right.
The Hike
Start the hike from Holston Mountain to Flint Rock by proceeding around the gate at the end of the parking lot. This next 1.1 mile stretch is following the wide forest road, covering 400′ of elevation gain. Once you round a large switchback in the road, the Holston Mountain Fire Tower will be looming in front of you. As noted at the beginning of the post, the fire tower is not advised to be climbed. It is surrounded by a chain-link fence and has multiple stairs missing to deter people from climbing since it is not in great condition anymore. We did end up finding the world’s largest (at least in our minds) timber rattlesnake in this area, so please be careful and aware. Sorry no pictures since the surprise was a little too close for comfort among the tall grass.
When ready to move on, return to the large switchback to find Holston Mountain Trail proceeding the exact opposite direction from the tower. The rest of the hike from Holston Mountain Fire Tower to Flint Rock will be 800′ downhill descent. If you visit in the summer, the trail may be a little hard to locate due to overgrowth. It does not appear to be well-maintained and you can expect to have plants brushing your legs the entire way. Of course, since we had just seen a large rattlesnake, we took this trail much more cautiously. Fortunately, we only encountered a small garter snake on the rest of our journey. The Flint Rock Trail will have blue blazes. Even though it was overgrown, it was quite a beautiful woodland hike with plenty of wildflowers and other flora.
After approximately 2 miles on this trail, take the middle path towards Flint Rock (not the wide road to the left of the trail). In another 0.4 mile, you will reach Flint Rock. You can carefully climb the rock to get wonderful 180 degree views of South Holston Lake.
When you are content with the views, simply retrace your steps back to the Fire Tower and car. Just remember, it’s 800′ gain back up to the tower, then 400′ descent back to the car so make sure you save some energy.
Bonus: If you have a little extra time, you can also stop at Blue Hole Falls, which you passed on the drive in on Panhandle Rd. This could be a great spot to relax and cool off after a great hike.
