Bays Mountain Park
| Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kingsport, Tennessee |
| Coordinates | 36°32′50″N 82°33′43″W / 36.547299°N 82.561839°WCoordinates: 36°32′50″N 82°33′43″W / 36.547299°N 82.561839°W |
| Area | 3,550 acres (14.4 km2) |
| Created | 1965 |
| Operated by | City of Kingsport |
| Open | Year Around |
| Website | http://www.baysmountain.com |
Bays Mountain Park is a 3,550 acres (14.4 km2) nature park and planetarium located on Bays Mountain in Kingsport, Tennessee, featuring cross-cut viewing sections of beaver dams, bee hives, cave systems, and more.
The park features a nature center and outdoor native animal displays including a bobcat, raptor center, river otters, a waterfowl aviary, wolf pen and free-roaming white-tail deer.[1] Wolf howling sessions are held regularly, where people are allowed to howl with the wolves, spurring the wolves into howling even more.[2] There is also a herpetarium with snakes and amphibians.
The Steadman Heritage Farmstead Museum is a 19th-century period living history farm museum.
One popular activity is called the Barge Ride. This attraction features a ride through the Bays Mountain Reservoir on a pontoon boat while learning about the nature around you. The park also features a freeze-drying laboratory where animals of the region who die of natural causes are preserved for everyone to examine up close.
Other activities include hiking, orienteering, mountain biking, camping and fishing.[3] There is also an adventure course with a zip line.
References
- ↑ "Bays Mountain Park". Kingsport, Tennessee. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "Bays Mountain Park welcomes new wolf pups". WCYB.com. May 17, 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "Bays Mountain Park". MTB Project.com. Retrieved 3 February 2016.