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The Laurels has been a popular area since the early days in East Tennessee. It was a common evening stopover for farmers from North Carolina taking produce to markets in Johnson City. The site is named for the native Rhododendron that thrives in the area, locally called "laurel." The Civilian Conservation Corps helped construct the current facilities in the early 1930s. Today, it is a popular day-use area, providing a nice shady place for family picnics and group gatherings.
**Honeycomb Creek flows through the picnic area and is enjoyed by kids of all ages on warm summer days.**
The Laurels has two pavilions, each with picnic tables and grills. An old foot path meanders through the nearby woods.
The Laurels includes two picnic pavilions, numerous tables connected by paths and trash cans. There are vault toilets on site. There is no potable water.
The Laurels is located on TN Hwy 361 near Sciota Road in Carter County.
From Johnson City, take I-181 south to Okalona exit. Turn left, drive under I-181 to TN 359. Turn left, back toward Johnson City for 0.2 miles. Turn right onto TN 359. Travel 1.4 miles, then turn right onto TN 361 for 3.7 miles to The Laurels.
I grew up here and seen friends get married and even my kids grow up here.. it's changed over the years but still is beautiful but not like it used to be.. it's a good 5 to 10 degrees cooler then the surrounding area which is nice when it's suffocating hot outside.. all in all, great place to have picnics, walks and even watch movies if you have a good projector.. always clean and they do have restrooms.. 2 big covered areas with 4 picnic tables each... It's quiet , cool and relaxing. Not hard to get to either . Hope you all enjoy
Love this place! Family gathering have been enjoyed here for years! We've tried other places but none are as peaceful and beautiful as this one! It feels like home!
It was nice and cool during the 4th of july weekend. The picnic areas are clean and well maintained. There were a ton of kids havong a blast in the creek looking for crawdads. All the dogs were happy and the humans seem to keep them on a leash and pick up the waste. Look forward to going back sometime.
We liked it! We stopped and ate our food then walked around. Very beautiful!
One of the coolest & peaceful places in Carter County. There's plenty of space between the picnic tables, it's almost private, each site has it's own grill. Real close to being in the mountains yet just a 15 or 20 minute drive from the city.!
