Are there many long stretches of trail that run parallel to busy roads? Thinking of taking my son but he's a new bike rider(without training wheels)and I worry about him on trails that are close to roadways or many steep drop offs.

Yes starting at mile marker 3 there are a few road crossings and some steep drop offs. Once you get into the Elizabethton it gets more congested but that's like 6 miles into the trail. So if you start at the trailhead you have a good 3 miles or so of safe trail that doesn't come to close to the road. There is a very small road crossing close to mile marker 1 but I rarely encounter traffic there and when I do it's very slow.

There is not many busy roads at all, it is the best road to run and walk on around here without any worries at all just make sure to get out of these crazy bikers ways around here....they suck !!!