Description: Summer In The Park, week of June 1-7
Location: Warriors Path State Park
Come enjoy a week full of outdoor fun! You and your family can hike high and low, visit wildlife and wild plants, enjoy traditional crafts & tales, and much more. And it's all free!
IMPORTANT NOTE - You DO NOT have to preregister for these "Summer In The Park" activities. However, we are offering registration for those who wish to donate to the park's programming efforts.
Here's the detailed schedule for this week:
MONDAY, JUNE 1
6:00 PM FERN FUN - Make friends with some of the local ferns and their relatives. Meet at the park’s Mountain Bike Trail parking lot.
9:00 PM GRANDFATHER TALES - Evening is a perfect time to share a story! Come and here the stories that Grandfathers have told for generations at the Open-air Chapel or the pool entrance if it is raining.
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
9:30 AM WAKE UP WALK - Let’s wake up our senses to morning in the forest. Meet at the main bath house for a refreshing morning walk.
10:30 AM CORN HUSK DOLLS - The early settlers along the Warriors' Path couldn't afford to waste anything! Even old corn husks could become a doll or toy. Meet at the Open Air Chapel to try this old-timey craft. If it's raining, meet at the main bath house.
11:30 AM ANIMAL HOMES - Meet some small “guest speakers” and discover more about who is “at home” here at the park. Come to the Open Air Chapel to find out about their habitats, and ours. In case of rain, meet at the main bath house.
1:30 PM FLINT & STEEL - We all enjoy watching a pretty campfire. But the early settlers needed fires to keep warm and to cook their meals. How did they start their fires without matches or lighter fluid? Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it rains.
3:00 PM LAKE SHORE ROUNDUP - We can help wildlife, and clean up their home at the same time! If they could talk, the critters would say "THANK YOU!!" Meet at the main bath house.
4:00 PM SPIDERS - Come discover more about our eight-legged neighbors! These tiny web-spinners have some incredible stories to tell. Meet at the main bath house.
5:00 PM BACKPACKING - 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.
7:00 PM AWESOME OPOSSUM - Enjoy a talk on Tennessee’s only marsupial and discover all about their amazing role in our environment. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if raining, to immerse yourself in the world of the Virginia Opossum.
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.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
11:00 AM GEOLOGY HIKE - Enjoy a hike across the rocky landscape, and learn to read the stories in stones. Meet at the Open Air Chapel.
2:00 PM 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.
3:30 PM MAKE YOUR OWN TERRARIUMS - Build your own miniature green corner of the world! Bring a clear plastic jar or plastic bottle to the main bath house.
5:00 PM “WONDERFUL WACKY WET WEDNESDAY” - 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!
6:00 PM HIKE LAKE HOLLOW – Enjoy a leisurely hike through the Lake Hollow Trail, and explore some of the unique habitats our animal neighbors call home. Meet at the camp store.
7:30 PM LOTS OF LEGS - Under rocks and logs, in cool damp places , we can meet some of our many-legged neighbors. Let’s go on a short walk to search for some centipedes and millipedes. Meet at the main bath house.
9:00 PM RACCOON RASCALS - Come discover more about these fascinating fur buddies, and learn more about their adventurous lives. Also find out how to keep them out of your campsite! Meet at the campfire circle, east end of the main campground (main bath house if it is raining).
THURSDAY, JUNE 4
9:30 AM SINKING WATERS RIDGE HIKE - Explore succession - the changing face of nature - on the first loop of the Sinking Waters Trail. We’ll discover the woodlands changing all around us! Drive to the camp store, and we’ll carpool to the start of the trail.
11:00 AM TURTLE TALK - Meet a real, live “shelled friend” and find out more about their amazing lives. Join our “wildlife ambassador” at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is raining.
1:30 PM BAT & MOTH - Use your ears and your “bug hunting” skills! See if you could survive a night out in the woods and fields -- if you were a flying bug! Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is raining.
3:00 PM TAG - You’re it! You’re the one we need to make all these great tag games work. Meet at the Open Air Chapel for all kinds of tag games. If it is raining, meet at the main bath house.
4:00 PM WHITETAIL HIKE - Come investigate some ancient forests, and find out more about this special habitat. We might even spot some deer “at home” in their habitat. Meet at the park’s Mountain Bike Trail parking area, at the end of Freeman Rd, Blountville TN.
5:00 PM JUNIOR RANGERS: CAMPGROUND CLEANUP - Make our park a cleaner, healthier environment! Make a big difference for our earth, and begin to earn a Junior Ranger badge. Meet at the main bath house. Be prepared to get dirty!
6:00 PM BARK RANGER - Is your dog ready to become an official B.A.R.K Ranger? Join us for a dog-friendly walk to learn what it takes to become a B.A.R.K Ranger! This hike is for dogs who are ready to demonstrate the 4 principles of being a B.A.R.K Ranger: 1.Bag your pet’s waste and dispose of it properly 2. Always wear a leash 3. Respect wildlife and park visitors 4. Know where you can go
Bring dog poop bags and dog leash to the camp store.
8:30 PM OUR BACKYARD BATS - Bats live in almost every community in North America! Come discover more about our neighborhood bats with an interactive slideshow. Meet at the Open Air Chapel or pool entrance if it’s raining.
FRIDAY, JUNE 5
8:00 AM BEGINNER BIRDING - You don’t have to be an expert to appreciate birds, and Warrior’s Path is full of them! Walk through the campground for some tips about birding and identification. Meet at the main bath house, and bring your curiosity. You can bring binoculars if you have them (we’ll have some extras).
11:30 AM THE WARRIORS’ PATH - Why was our park named “Warriors’ Path?” Take a short hike to find out more. Meet at the main bath house.
1:30 PM WEB OF LIFE - Every living thing is part of the web! Help us get really “tied up” in our work as we build our own living web. You’ll see natural places like you’ve never seen them before! Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is raining.
3:00 PM OLD-TIME WEATHER SAYINGS - Do wooly worms really predict winter weather? Find out about our region’s weather forecasting traditions. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it rains.
4:00 PM RIVERBANK STROLL -This green river valley has seen generations of travelers. Let’s travel together and search for signs of the wildlife and the people who came before us. Meet at the main campground bath house.
5:30 PM NON-FLOWERING PLANTS RAMBLE - Not every green growing thing makes flowers! Come visit some of the ferns, mosses, and other non-flowering plants in the park. Meet at the main bath house to begin our walk.
7:00 PM OLD TIMEY GAMES - Enjoy some good-old fun! Try some games from the early settlement days of East Tennessee. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it’s raining.
8:00 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 main bath house if it is raining.
9:00 PM TENNESSEE TALES - Enjoy new insights into Tennessee Folklife as we share some good-old traditional tall tales. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it rains.
SATURDAY, JUNE 6
Special Event - National Trails Day
Sunrise Hike - 6:00 AM
You’ve got to be an “early bird” to greet the summer sunrise! Come for a short hike as we watch the new day dawn across the green East Tennessee hills.
Meet at the big Parking Lot uphill from Park Headquarters, and we’ll carpool.
Hike the Mountain Bike Trails - 10:00 AM or 1:00 PM
Did you know that there is a National Recreational Trail system here at Warriors’ Path? And National Trails Day is a perfect day to enjoy these awesome trails! Come enjoy one of two different scenic 2-3 mile hikes through diverse wildlife habitats. Wear comfortable hiking shoes. Bring water and snacks.
Meet at the Warriors’ Path Mountain Bike Trail parking lot.
Hike and Creek Walk - 3:00 PM
Hike to a clear flowing stream, and then walk IN the stream! Discover the amazing world of life under water. Wear old clothes and old tennis shoes - be prepared to get wet!
Meet at the big Parking Lot uphill from Park Headquarters, and we’ll carpool.
100 INCH Hike - 6:00 PM
One hundred inches isn’t very far, unless you’re as small as a bug! Let’s explore life on the tiny side with a series of VERY SHORT hikes.
Meet at the big Parking Lot uphill from Park Headquarters, and we’ll carpool.
Night Hike - 9:00 PM
Take a hike on the dark side of the day. We’ll find a whole new world of
nature in the night-time forest. Wear good hiking boots and bring a
dim flashlight.
Meet at the big Parking Lot uphill from Park Headquarters,
and we’ll carpool.
SUNDAY, JUNE 7
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 the Colonial Heights Baptist Church.
Program Host: Marty Silver
Contact Email: marty.silver@tn.gov
Contact Phone: 423-239-6786