Warriors Path State Park: Summer in the Park

Description: Summer In The Park, week of June 15-21

Location: Warriors Path State Park

Come enjoy a week full of outdoor fun! You and your family can hike and explore, meet native wildlife and trees, protect park resources, 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 15

6:30 PM 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.

9:00 PM JACK TALES – Evening is a perfect time to share a story! And these Jack Tales have been shared all across our region for generations. Come to the campfire circle, and be a part of the story-telling legacy of East Tennessee. (In case of rain, meet at the main bath house.)

TUESDAY, JUNE 16

8:30 AM 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 PINE CONE BIRD FEEDERS – Let’s make a snack for our feathered friends! Meet at the main bath house, and you’ll be able to bring back home your own little bird feeder.

1:30 PM “INVADERS” AMONG US – Discover more about the dangers of invasive plant and animal species by playing a nature game about these invaders. Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it’s raining.

3:30 PM OWL PELLETS – What could be more gross, but also more exciting, than checking out some owl vomit! Don’t worry, these pellets are all germ free. But they sure are full of bones. Use your detective skills to find out what the owls had for supper! Meet at the Open Air Chapel (main bath house if it is raining.)

4:30 PM TREE COOKIES – Let’s read a small slice of nature! The inside of a tree holds many clues to the outside of the land! Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is raining.

6:00 PM NOISY TOYS – How did the pioneer children make music or noise? Make your very own “musical” instrument with a few simple things from nature. Meet at the Open Air Chapel to create some “beautiful music.” In case of rain, meet at the main bath house.

7:00 PM LAKE HOLLOW HIKE – Let’s enjoy the rich discoveries of land and water life along the Lake Hollow trail. Meet at the Camp Store and we will head down the trail!

9:00 PM NIGHT SOUNDS – Nature is full of sounds when the sun goes down! Some seem eerie, but there’s no need to be nervous. Come find out whose noise is whose. Meet at the Open Air Chapel for a short slide show of the creatures who “talk” in the night! (At the main bath house if it is raining.) NOTE – there will be a special NIGHT SOUNDS contest for children after the show.

 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17

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 TREE ID SCAVENGER HUNT – 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.

11:00 AM LEAF PRINTS – “Ordinary” leaves come in such extraordinary shapes and textures. We can capture these patterns with ink and paper. Come make a leaf souvenir at the main bath house.

2:00 PM LIFE UNDER LOGS – Every corner of this earth is a home – and rotten logs are some of the best! Help us “dig into” this unique habitat. Meet at the main bath house, and be ready to get your hands dirty.

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!

5:00 PM PAW PAW PATROL – Have you heard of Paw Paw trees? Let’s go “way down yonder to the Paw Paw patch!” We’ll discover more about this amazing native fruit tree. Join the “Paw Paw Patrol” along the trail. Meet at the camp store.

7:00 PM OH DEER- Oh Dear a deer! See if you can find what a deer needs to survive. Join us at the Open-air Chapel. Or main bathhouse if it is raining.

9:00 PM NIGHT VISION – How does night vision work? Meet at the Main Bathhouse to “look into” this amazing tool for us, and for our nocturnal neighbors.

 

THURSDAY, JUNE 18

8:30 AM BIRDING! – Some tips on how to get to know our park birds. Bring binoculars if you have them, and meet at the camp store.

10:00 AM 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.

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, and we’ll walk on over to the trail.

1:00 PM 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.

3:00 PM BIRD BEHAVIOR HUNT – Join us on a scavenger hunt for bird behavior. We’ll be looking for pecking, foraging, mating behaviors, and more! Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or the main bathhouse if it rains.

4:30 PM HOLSTON BLUFFS RAILROAD TOUR – Our park is tied to history through the rails! Let’s hike the old railroad grade, and hear the stories of these old railroaders’ lives. Meet at the Moody Bluff Campground entrance.

6:00 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.

7:30 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.

9:00 PM TENNESSEE SEASONS, TENNESSEE WILDLIFE – Enjoy a tour of all four seasons in the hills of Tennessee. With words and pictures, we will experience the excitement of year-round discovery. After the slide show, one of our “Wildlife Ambassadors” will share a lesson on Wildlife Tracking and reading “Critter Signs.” Meet at the Open Air Chapel, or main bath house if it is raining.

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 19

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 Trail parking area (at the end of Freeman Road, Blountville TN)

10:00 AM NATURE JOURNALS – Come learn the basics of nature journaling and create your own masterpiece. Meet at the Open Air Chapel. In case of rain, meet at the main bath house.

11:30 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.

1:00 PM HIKE TO CHILDRESS TOWN – A vigorous hike over the high ridges will bring us to the ruins of the first settlement in the park. This will be a three to four hour hike, so wear good walking shoes and bring plenty of water. Drive to the camp store. We’ll carpool to the start of the trail.

3:00 PM BUILD A CABIN – Less than 100 years ago, our park was farmland and farm houses, not playgrounds and campsites! And home was made of logs. Come create a little model log cabin with some sticks, some glue, and your creativity. Meet at the main bath house.

4:30 PM 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 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.

8:00 PM EVENING STROLL – Let’s wake up our senses to evening in the forest. Meet at the main bath house for a short, refreshing hike.

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 20

10:00 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 amazing life. Drive to the camp store, and we’ll carpool. Be prepared to get wet!

1:00 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.

1:30 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.

3:00 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.

4:00 PM TEN ESSENTIALS – Don’t hit the trail without them! Meet at the Open Air Chapel to find out what’s REALLY important for safe and fun nature exploration. In case of rain, meet at the main bath house.

5:00 PM MEET THE OWL – Meet one of our “Wildlife Ambassadors” – a REAL LIVE feathered hunter – and learn his fascinating life story. See “whooo…” is waiting for you at the Open Air Chapel. If it is raining, meet at the main bath house.

8:30 PM NIGHT HIKE TO FALL CREEK – 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 open fields near Fall Creek. Bring a dim flashlight and drive to the camp store. We’ll carpool out to the park back country.

 

SUNDAY, JUNE 21

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 Fall Creek Baptist Church.