Warriors Path State Park

Located in Sullivan County, Warriors Path State Park contains 970 acres on both sides of the Fort Patrick Henry Lake, a 900-acre reservoir created by the Tennessee Valley Authority when it built Fort Patrick Henry Dam from 1951 to 1954. Established by the early 1960s, the park has evolved into a major recreational facility for Tri-Cities residents and features an eighteen-hole golf course, 160 campground sites, a swimming pool, picnic grounds, a water slide, hiking trails, and a marina.

Warriors Path also includes significant historic sites. Its name reflects the fact that ancient Native American trails along the Holston River both to and from Long Island passed through the park’s boundaries. It is also associated with the Wilderness Road. Fort Patrick Henry Lake is named for an earlier Revolutionary War fort, constructed in September 1776 by forces under the command of Lt. Colonel William Russell and garrisoned by troops under Captain William Witcher during the American campaign against the Cherokees. The fort was named for Patrick Henry, the famous Virginia patriot. Within the park are the archaeological ruins of Childress Town, which once stood on the banks of the South Fork of the Holston River at the Childress Ferry. On the Fall Creek Road entrance to the park is a historic gristmill, the Roller-Pettyjohn Mill, which was built in 1903. The National Register-listed mill operated until 1955.