Warriors Path State Park: Summer in the Park

MONDAY, JULY 10
2;00 PM POLLINATION STATION – Bees aren’t the only pollinators! Meet at
the pool entrance for a short walk to discover about the many essential
pollinators in our park!

5:00 PM HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS – Everyone loves to watch these tiny,
speedy birds! You can get a much closer look if you offer them the right
kind of snack. Meet at the main bath house to find out about the best
plants for hummingbirds, and to make your own hummingbird feeder.
Bring a 1/2 liter soft drink bottle if you can.

7:00 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.

9:00 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.
TUESDAY, JULY 11
9:30 AM FOREST DISCOVERY HIKE – Be a forest detective! Come explore the
web of connections along the forest trail. Meet at the Open Air Chapel.
11:00 AM SPORE PRINTS – Come join us for some old-fashioned mushroom
hunting! Find out more about how mushrooms spread spores, and create
some amazing art with mushroom spores. Meet at the main bath house.
12 NOON BUILD A TREE – Meet at the main bath house to create your own
woody “friend!” We’ll supply the craft materials, you supply the creative
fingers.

2:00 PM LEAF MOBILES – How peaceful it is to sit under a summer tree and
watch the leave move in the wind! Come make your own leafy “tree” to
enjoy and remember the summer forests. Meet at the main bath house.
3:00 PM POISON IVY – Don’t let fear of a little itch keep you out of the lovely
summer woods! Learn to be safe around this “sneaky” plant. Meet at the
Open Air chapel, or main bath house if it’s raining.

4:00 PM LOVELY LICHENS – Come walk to discover some of our park’s most
amazing plants! You’ll really “take a liking” to them! Meet at the main
bathhouse.

5:00 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.

NOTE: All activities meet in and near the park’s Main Campground, unless otherwise specified.

TUESDAY, CONTINUED
7:00 PM TREE TOOLS – How big is that tree? How old is it? What wildlife could be
hiding in it? Come see and try out some of the tools that foresters use to study
and protect our native trees. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if
it is raining.

9:00 PM FOREST TREES – Take a “hike” from the comfort of your seat. Enjoy a “tour”
of our nearby forest habitats using words and pictures. After the slide show,
we’ll share a demonstration of how to identify our local trees. Meet at the Open
Air Chapel, or pool entrance if it is raining.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12
8:00 AM BREAKFAST WITH THE BIRDS – Come wake up to our feathered neighbors.
Meet at the main bath house to begin a stroll through bird country! (The first 12
people to come get free doughnut & juice!)

10:00 AM WHAT’S UP WITH THE WIND? – From gentle summer breezes to howling
hurricanes, the wind is one of nature’s most important travelers. Meet at the
Open Air Chapel to “travel along.” In case of rain, meet at the main bath house.
1:00 PM FIELD SWEEP – This green world at our feet is teeming with amazing life.
Help us “sweep up” some field discoveries. Meet at the Open Air Chapel.
2:00 PM WOW CLOUD – Create your own cloudy sky craft. Discover more about those

cool summer cloud patterns. Meet at the main bath house.

3:00 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.

4:00 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 NATURE’S SKYSCRAPERS – Forests are like apartment houses! Come along
on this forest hike, and we’ll find out more about who lives “upstairs.” Meet at
the Campfire Circle on the east end of the campground.

7:00 PM MAKE A MARSUPIAL – Have a blast crafting your own Opossum! You can
even show off your creation at the 9pm slideshow show. Meet at the main
bathhouse and wear a shirt you don’t mind getting paint on – just in case.
9:00 PM AWESOME OPOSSUM – Enjoy this slide-illustrated talk on Tennessee’s only
marsupial and discover all about their amazing role in our environment. Meet at
the Open Air Chapel, or pool entrance if raining, to immerse yourself in the
world of the Virginia Opossum.

THURSDAY, JULY 13
9:00 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.

10:00 AM BIRDING SCAVENGER HUNT – There are MANY different kinds of birds
here at Warrior’s Path! Challenge yourself to find our park’s feathered friends.
Bring your eyes and ears to the Open Air Chapel (main bath house if it’s raining)
to discuss park birds and to get a park bird checklist. Find them by 8 PM, and
then meet back at the Open Air Chapel to get your birding participation prize!

THURSDAY, CONTINUED
11:00 AM MUD ART – Let’s have a messy, slimy good time! You’ll be amazed at how
creative you can be with nature’s own “finger-paints”. Meet at the Boundless
Playground to create your own natural masterpiece.

1:30 PM CONES & CONIFERS STROLL – Let’s walk beneath the pines and discover
more about our cone-bearing tree friends. Meet at the camp store for a short
stroll.

2:30 PM PINE CONE OWLS – Owls don’t grow on pine trees! But we can use pine cones

to create a quiet little owl. We’ll provide the pine cones, you supply the
creativity! Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or at the main bath house if it’s raining.
4:00 PM WINGED WONDERS – Enjoy a leisurely afternoon stroll to visit with some of
nature’s most beautiful insects! Meet at the camp store for a stroll to butterfly
habitat.

6:00 PM MEET THE OWL – Meet a REAL LIVE feathered hunter, and learn his
fascinating life story. Come to the Open Air Chapel and see “whooo…” is waiting
for you. If it is raining, meet at the main bath house.

7:00 PM SLANTING LIGHT STROLL – Come for a relaxing meander to look for animal
signs as the nighttime animals start to stir and the sun starts to cast long
shadows through the woods. Meet at the camp store.

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 caravan to the back country.

FRIDAY, JULY 14
9:30 AM MORNING CRITTERS – We may think it’s too early to be out and about, but
park critters see things differently! Come and see which animals are up and
going while we are still eager to sleep. Meet at the Open Air Chapel.

10:30 AM LEAF HIKE – Leaves are shade on a hot summer day. Leaves are the green
carpet of the hills. Leaves are full of amazing stories! Let’s walk under the
leaves, and listen in. Meet at the main bath house to start a shore hike.

1:00 PM BIKE RIDE TO SHIPLEY CEMETERY -Long years before this was a park, it
was the Shipley family farm. As we visit their family cemetery, and the green
hills beyond, we can get a better feeling for their land and their lives. Pedal on
down to the camp store. Note that ALL riders MUST wear a bicycle helmet.
Children 10 or under must be accompanied by an adult!

2:00 PM WHERE’S MY HOME? – We have many and varied homes – and so do our wild
neighbors. Come investigate some natural homes. Meet at the Campfire Circle
on the east end of the campground.

3:30 PM SENSORY STROLL – Lets put all five of our senses to the test while going on
this short hike. Meet at the Open Air Chapel to begin our amazing discovery
walk.

5:00 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.
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.

FRIDAY, CONTINUED
7:00 PM EVENING TEA TIME – Join us to wind down the evening with some delicious
and “purifying” spicebush tea! Meet us at the main bathhouse to discover the
many uses of our native Northern Spicebush.

9:00 PM TENNESSEE TALES – Enjoy a slide-illustrated talk on Tennessee Folklife, and
then share some good-old traditional tall tales. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or
pool entrance if it rains.

SATURDAY, JULY 15
9:00 AM HIKE THE BONEYARD – Come explore a remote corner of Warriors’ Path, full
of geologic 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 park’s Mountain Bike parking, at the end of Freeman Rd, Blountville TN.
1:00 PM TURTLE TALK – Meet some real, live “shelled friends” and find out more about
their amazing lives. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is
raining.

2:30 PM 100 INCH HIKE – Especially for small, tired feet! Discover life on the tiny side.
This will also be a great chance to catch a critter for the races! Meet at the main
bath house.

3:00 PM CRITTER RACE FOR FREEDOM – Bring your best creepy crawler to the
main bath house. They’ll all win, because they’ll all get their freedom. No pets or
flying creatures please.

4:00 PM WALKING TREES, FLYING PLANTS – 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.

6:00 PM ANIMAL MASKS – What can you be? A wolf? A bear? A kitten? Or maybe a
creature you design yourself! Bring your imagination to the main bath house.
9:00 PM CRITTER CAMPFIRE – What a great combination: A dark night, a bright fire,
and some exciting animal tales. If you made a mask with us at 6:00, be sure to
bring it to the campfire! 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 16
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.