Description: Summer In The Park, Week of July 13-19
Location: Warriors Path State Park
Come enjoy a week full of natural fun! You and your family can hike wet or dry, meet local wildlife and local geology, try nature play and nature projects, and much more. And it's all free!
Here is the detailed schedule for the week:
MONDAY, JULY 13
6:30 PM NATURE JOURNAL - Come create your own little “nature diary.” Your home-made book will be a perfect way to remember all your nature fun in the park! Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or the main bath house if it is raining.
9:00 PM GRANDFATHER TALES - Evening is a perfect time to share a story! Come and hear the stories that Grandfathers have told for generations at the Open Air Chapel or the main bath house if it is raining.
TUESDAY JULY 14
12 NOON EDIBLE PLANTS RAMBLE - Are they weeds or are they dinner? Learn to make a salad from lawn plants. Meet at the camp store and let’s walk on down.
2:30 PM TURKEY TALK - Let’s “talk turkey” about our biggest native game bird. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it’s raining.
6:00 PM BIRDS OF PREY - Meet a real live feathered hunter. One of our “Wildlife Ambassadors” is waiting to meet you at the Open Air Chapel. (At the main bath house if it’s raining).
7:30 PM TREE COOKIES - The INSIDE of a tree can tell us a lot about the OUTSIDE of the forest! Come learn to read a tree’s story from its rings! Meet at the Open Air Chapel. (Rain location - Main Bathhouse.)
9:00 PM NIGHT HIKE TO SINKING WATERS - It's a whole different world out there at night! Tonight is our chance to discover the peace and the excitement of a night in the Sinking Waters wetland. Bring a dim flashlight and drive to the camp store. We'll carpool out to the park back country.
WEDNESDAY JULY 15
9:00 AM SPOTLIGHT WALK - Let’s shine our light on some bright natural discoveries. Meet at the camp store to begin a short, sunlit hike.
12 NOON LEAVE NO TRACE - We can enjoy the wilderness, and leave the land as beautiful as it was. Find out how to camp and hike, and leave no signs of your presence. Meet at the campfire circle, or main bath house if it is raining.
1:30 PM WATERSCOPES - Make your own “window” into the world of water. Meet at the Boundless Playground Entrance and we’ll build a little tool to help us see life in the creek.
6:30 PM LEAF RUBBINGS - Let's "rub up against" some nature discoveries. Create a lasting reminder of nature's amazing textures. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or pool entrance if it is raining.
9:00 PM LAMP-LIT NIGHT HIKE - Take a "de-light-full" hike through the creekside forest. We'll light up the trail with old-timey kerosene lanterns, and discover a "new world" of life after dark. We’ll supply the lanterns, but children should bring flashlights instead for safety. Drive to the camp store, and we’ll carpool..
THURSDAY JULY 16
9:00 AM HIKE THE WHITETAIL LOOP - Come explore a remote corner of Warriors’ Path, full of wildlife discovery. This will be a challenging 2-3 mile hike, so be sure to wear comfortable clothes, good hiking shoes, and bring some drinking water. Meet at the Mountain Bike Trail parking lot (Freeman Rd, Blountville).
12 NOON FERN FUN - Make friends with some of the local ferns and their kin. Meet us at the Open Air Chapel and we will take a short walk to find some fern friends.
4:00 PM CREEK CRITTERS - Come find out what critters are hidden in the water of East Tennessee and what they can tell us about the health of our water. Wear closed-toe shoes and be prepared to get wet! Meet at the Boundless Playground.
6:00 PM NATURE GAMES - Don’t miss the natural fun - for the young or the young-at-heart! Meet at the Open Air Chapel for some lively games about our natural world. If it’s raining, meet at the main bath house.
7:00 PM 100 INCH HIKE - One hundred inches isn’t very far, unless you are as small as a bug! Discover life on the tiny side with some VERY SHORT hikes. Meet at the main bath house.
9:00 PM DRAGONFLIES - These fascinating insects have some amazing life stories to tell. Come enjoy a slide-illustrated talk about these “bugs” that zip through the summer skies. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or the main bath house if it’s raining.
FRIDAY, JULY 17
9:30 AM WETLAND WALK - Wetlands are wet, and full of life! Come along for a soggy hike near Fall Creek, on the far side of the Devil’s Backbone. We might even spot a few dragonflies! Drive to the camp store, and we’ll carpool.
11:00 AM FISH ID - Discover more about our underwater friends. Meet at the camp store. We’ll walk along the lakeshore to get a close look at all those different species of fish.
12:30 PM PLANKTON - For us, the lake is a place to go boating or fishing. But for the micro-world of plankton, it’s a home. Come help us sample this incredible world of tiny lives floating in lake water. Meet at the main bath house, and we’ll stroll on down to the shore.
4:00 PM “WONDERFUL WACKY WET WEDNESDAY FRIDAY” - Let’s enjoy some kid-friendly water play and learning activities. You might even get to soak the Park Ranger. Meet at the Open Air Chapel and be prepared to get VERY WET! (PS - moved from Wednesday because of scheduling conflicts)
6:30 PM BACKPACKING 101 - Have you ever wanted to spend more than just a day in the back country? Here’s your chance to gain advice on how to begin your overnight expeditions. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is raining.
9:00 PM PLANTS & POLLINATORS - Enjoy a slide-illustrated talk on native wildflowers, and the “busy bugs” who help them thrive. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it’s raining.
SATURDAY, JULY 18
10:00 AM POLLINATORS ARE PRECIOUS- Let’s take a walk through pollinator country! Come help us discover the creatures who help craft our future by helping plants make seeds. Bring yourself and your keen eyes down to the camp store to begin a short hike.
2:00 PM CRITTER PATHS - Be a critter detective! Find out what's been wandering through the campground habitats. Meet at the camp store.
4:00 PM CREEK WALK - Get on your old clothes and tennis shoes. It’s time to explore the cool, clear creek waters. We’ll discover a world of amazing life. Drive to the Camp Store, and we’ll carpool.. Be prepared to get wet!
9:00 PM CAMPFIRE - What a perfect combination: A dark night, a crackling fire, and some local, traditional ghost tales. Meet at the campfire circle, east end of the main campground. If it is raining, we’ll have an indoor “campfire” at the pool entrance.
SUNDAY, JULY 19
9:00 AM WORSHIP SERVICE - Enjoy a peaceful morning worship service at the Open Air Chapel, or at the pool entrance if it is raining. Sponsored by Fall Creek Baptist Church.
Program Host: Marty Silver
Contact Email: marty.silver@tn.gov
Contact Phone: 423-239-6786