Bays Mountain Park
Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium | |
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Location | Kingsport, Tennessee |
Coordinates | 36°32′50″N 82°33′43″W / 36.547299°N 82.561839°W |
Area | 3,650 acres (14.8 km2) |
Created | 1965 |
Operated by | City of Kingsport |
Open | Year Around |
Website | http://www.baysmountain.com |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Milky_way_-_Bays_Mountain_Park_-_Astronomy_night_viewing_event_%2830543470575%29.jpg/220px-Milky_way_-_Bays_Mountain_Park_-_Astronomy_night_viewing_event_%2830543470575%29.jpg)
Bays Mountain Park is a 3,650 acres (14.8 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. Archived from the original on 11 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ^ "Bays Mountain Park welcomes new wolf pups". WCYB.com. May 17, 2014. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ^ "Bays Mountain Park". MTB Project.com. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
External links
- Parks in Tennessee
- Protected areas of Sullivan County, Tennessee
- Protected areas of Hawkins County, Tennessee
- Museums in Sullivan County, Tennessee
- Living museums in Tennessee
- Nature centers in Tennessee
- Farm museums in the United States
- Planetaria in the United States
- Education in Sullivan County, Tennessee
- Adventure parks
- Protected areas established in 1965
- 1965 establishments in Tennessee