Summer in Warriors’ Path State Park

Warriors’ Path State Park hopes you are enjoying this great summer season, and that you’ll be joining soon for our award-winning “Summer In The Park” activities. Below is the schedule for June 29 through July 4th. During that week, you and your family can hike by lantern light and daylight, plant future meadows, read wildlife signs, explore wetlands, and much more. And it’s all FREE!

TUESDAY, JUNE 29

10:30 AM LAKESIDE HIKE – Let’s enjoy a peaceful morning hike and find some different habitats along the lakeside trails. Meet at the main bath house. 1:00 PM BEE’S KNEES – Sure bees make delicious honey, but what else do they do? Find out why bees are so important and what they do for us. We’ll even make our own little pet bees that won’t sting! Buzz over to the Open Air Chapel or at the main bath house if it’s raining.

3:30 PM MEET YOUR FEATHERED NEIGHBORS – Learn how to use a field guide to get to know the common birds of the park. Meet at the Open Air Chapel (main bath house if it is raining). 5:00 PM SEED RACES – Wind, water, and animals carry seeds of new trees and plants all across the land. Our “wind” can help too! Meet at the Open Air Chapel to show off your “hot air” and plant some new life. Meet at the main bath house if it rains.

7:00 PM SKULLS – NATURE’S TOOL BOX – Every animal carries along with all the tools it needs for survival! Come investigate some natural “toolboxes,” and find out more about each animal’s job! Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is raining.

9:00 PM TENNESSEE WILDERNESS – Enjoy a slide-illustrated tour of Tennessee’s wild, scenic places. After the tour, we’ll have a demonstration (with the help of a small native animal) of how to read wildlife signs. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or pool entrance if it’s raining.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30

9:30 AM MORNING BIRD WALK – Wake up and smell the worms! Come for a nice morning walk around the campground and greet the day with our feathered friends! Bring binoculars if you have them (we’ll have a few extras). Meet at the Camp Store.

1:00 PM MAGNIFYING GLASS STROLL – Use your eyes and some handy little magnifiers to get a close look at nature’s amazing details. Meet at the main bath house to begin a short discovery walk.

3:00 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!

5:00 PM NATURAL DYES – Nature’s awesome colors mean beauty for us. The early settlers wore some of them! Meet at the Open Air Chapel to try your hand at using the same natural materials as they did, for dyeing cloth. In case of rain, meet at the main bath house. NOTE: All activities meet in and near the park’s Main Campground unless otherwise specified.

7:00 PM PESKY PLANTS WALK – Some plants and trees just don’t fit in. Come find out how these “invaders” traveled here, and how they affect our native species. Meet at the main bath house for a short hike.

THURSDAY, JULY 1

9:00 AM HIKE PAW PAW CREEK – Come hike a remote wetland trail. Discover the amazing natural diversity in these lush green woods. Meet at the Mountain Bike Trail parking lot. Be sure to wear good hiking footwear.

12 NOON SOIL STUDIES – It’s not just plain old “dirt!” Come “dig into” some new discoveries about the soil beneath our feet. Meet at the Open Air Chapel.

1:00 PM NATURE BOOKMARKS – Mark your place in your favorite summer reading with a natural flower arrangement. Creating a lasting souvenir of your park visit. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is raining.

3:30 PM WEAVING – Learn the ancient art of turning fiber into cloth. Meet at the Open Air Chapel and see how creative you can be! In case of rain, meet at the main bath house.

6:00 PM MEET THE OWL– Meet some real live feathered hunters. Come to the Open Air Chapel and see “whooo…” is waiting for you. If it is raining, meet at the main bath house.

7:30 PM WASPS & HORNETS – Yes, they do sting if you bother them! But they are really amazing creatures when you get to know them, from a safe distance… Let’s get a close, stingless look at these common, important, misunderstood park critters. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is raining.

9:00 PM LAMP-LIT NIGHT HIKE – Take a “de-light-full” hike through the nighttime 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. Meet at the Mountain Bike Trail parking lot. Be sure to wear good hiking footwear.

FRIDAY, JULY 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.

11:30 AM 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 an amazing life. Drive to the camp store, and we’ll carpool. Be prepared to get wet!

12:30 PM CRITTER COUNT HIKE – Park woodlands are amazing rich habitats. Come along on a short hike to count who is at home in the forest. Bring along your best wildlife watching skills, and meet at the main bath house.

3:00 PM COOL DOWN LAKE WALK – Let’s dabble our toes in the water and enjoy all the “cool” discoveries. Meet at the campfire circle, east end of the campground.

5:00 PM BARE BONES – It’s what’s inside that counts! We can find out a lot about our wildlife neighbors by a close look at their bones! Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is raining.

 6:00 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.

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 pool entrance if it rains.

SATURDAY, JULY 3

9:00 AM HIKE THE BONEYARD – Come explore a remote corner of Warriors’ Path, full of nature 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 area.

10:00 AM TREE ID GAME – Come on down and enjoy a fine little game that will help you get to know the local trees a little better. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it’s raining.

1:00 PM HOME-MADE ICE CREAM – There’s nothing better on a hot afternoon than some homemade ice cream! And there’s no better way to work up an appetite than to turn the crank on an ice-cream freezer! Meet at the campfire circle, east end of the campground, or main bath house if it is raining.

2:00 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.

5:00 PM EARTHBALL GAMES – Let’s have a ball – a six-foot-tall ball!! Meet at the Open Air Chapel for some lively, cooperative games. If it rains, we’ll have some smaller ball games at the main bath house.

7:30 PM TWILIGHT HIKE – As our day is winding down, many animals are just waking up. Come join us for a cool walk through the woods to look for signs of evening “critters”. Meet at the main bath house.

SUNDAY, JULY 4

✰✰✰ Happy Birthday USA ✰✰✰

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.