Bays Mountain Park

Nature park and planetarium in Kingsport, Tennessee

36°32′50″N 82°33′43″W / 36.547299°N 82.561839°W / 36.547299; -82.561839Area3,750 acres (15.2 km²)Created1965Operated byCity of KingsportOpenYear AroundWebsitewww.baysmountain.com

Bays Mountain Park is a 3,750 acres (15.2 km²) nature park and planetarium located on Bays Mountain in Kingsport, Tennessee. Opened in 1971,^[1] it features a 44 acre lake, over 40 miles of hiking trails,^[2] a nature center with a planetarium theater, fire tower, and animal habitats.

Its nature center and outdoor native animal displays include bobcats, a raptor center and gray wolves, among other exhibits.^[3] There is also a herpetarium housing reptiles and amphibians.

The park also features an educational pontoon boat ride attraction that runs through the Bays Mountain Reservoir, called the Barge Ride.^[4]

Other activities include hiking, orienteering, mountain biking, camping, and fishing.^[5] There is also the Steadman Heritage Farmstead Museum, a 19th-century period living history farm museum.

In 2017, the Pavilion at Lily Pad Cove was added for events rentals and special events and in 2019, 75 extra parking spots were added to alleviate peak season parking issues.

It is the largest city-owned park in Tennessee.^[6]

Wolves of Bays Mountain

Since 1992, Bays Mountain has been home to a pack of gray wolves. The current pack consists of eight wolves, four male and four female. Seven of those came to the park in 2014 and 2015 and the eighth has been there since 2007, making her the oldest wolf in park history.

This is one of the few places a visitor can experience an actual wolf pack dynamic and behavior. Most places only have two or three wolves together.

References

^ "Celebrating 50 Years of Adventure at Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium". Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium. 2021-03-26. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
^ "Hiking & Biking". Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
^ "Park Overview". Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
^ "Barge Rides". Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
^ "Camping & Fishing". Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
^ https://www.baysmountain.com/park/park-overview/#:~:text=Bays%20Mountain%20Park%20%26%20Planetarium%2C%20located,in%20the%20state%20of%20Tennessee.

External links

Bays Mountain Park website

Protected areas of Tennessee

Federal

National parks	Great Smoky Mountains National Park
National historical parks and sites	Andrew Johnson National Historic Site Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Manhattan Project National Historical Park
National Military Parks	Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Fort Donelson National Battlefield Shiloh National Military Park Stones River National Battlefield
National recreation areas	Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area
National Trails System	Appalachian National Scenic Trail Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
National forests	Cherokee National Forest
National Wild and Scenic Rivers	Obed River
National Wildlife Refuges	Chickasaw Cross Creeks Hatchie Lake Isom Lower Hatchie Reelfoot Tennessee
Wilderness areas	Bald River Gorge Big Frog Big Laurel Branch Citico Creek Cohutta Gee Creek Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Little Frog Mountain Pond Mountain Sampson Mountain Unaka Mountain
Other protected areas	Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area Foothills Parkway Gatlinburg Bypass Natchez Trace Parkway

State

East Tennessee state parks	Big Ridge Booker T. Washington Cove Lake Cumberland Mountain David Crockett Birthplace Fall Creek Falls Fort Loudoun Frozen Head Harrison Bay Hiwassee/Ocoee Indian Mountain Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork Norris Dam Panther Creek Red Clay Roan Mountain Seven Islands Sycamore Shoals Warriors' Path
Middle Tennessee state parks	Bicentennial Capitol Mall Bledsoe Creek Burgess Falls Cedars Of Lebanon Cordell Hull Birthplace Cummins Falls David Crockett Dunbar Cave Edgar Evins Fall Creek Falls Harpeth River Henry Horton Johnsonville Long Hunter Montgomery Bell Mousetail Landing Old Stone Fort Pickett Port Royal Radnor Lake Rock Island Sgt. Alvin C. York South Cumberland Standing Stone Tims Ford
West Tennessee state parks	Big Cypress Tree Big Hill Pond Chickasaw Fort Pillow Meeman-Shelby Forest Natchez Trace Nathan Bedford Forrest Paris Landing Pickwick Landing Pinson Mounds Reelfoot Lake T. O. Fuller
State forests	Bledsoe Cedars of Lebanon Chickasaw Chuck Swan Franklin John Tully Lewis Lone Mountain Martha Sundquist Natchez Trace Pickett Prentice Cooper Scott Standing Stone Stewart
State natural areas	Auntney Hollow Barnett's Woods Bays Mountain Beaman Park Big Bone Cave Campbell Bend Barrens Carroll Cabin Barrens Glade Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lee Carter Chimneys Colditz Cove Couchville Cedar Glade Crowder Cemetery Barrens Devils Backbone Dry Branch Duck River Complex Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Falling Water Falls Fate Sanders Barrens Flat Rock Cedar Glade & Barrens Gattinger’s Cedar Glade & Barrens Ghost River Grundy Forest Hampton Creek Cove Hawkins Cove Hicks Gap Hill Forest Honey Creek House Mountain Hubbard’s Cave John & Hester Lane Cedar Glades John Noel at Bon Aqua Langford Branch Laurel-Snow Lost Creek Lucius Burch Jr. Forest Manus Road Cedar Glade May Prairie North Chickamauga Creek Gorge Old Forest Overbridge Ozone Falls Piney Falls Pogue Creek Powell River Preserve Radnor Lake Riverwoods Roundtop Mountain Rugby Savage Gulf Sequatchie Cave Short Mountain Short Springs Sneed Road Cedar Glade Stillhouse Hollow Falls Stinging Fork Falls Stones River Cedar Glade & Barrens Sunk Lake Sunnybell Cedar Glade Taylor Hollow Twin Arches Vesta Cedar Glade Vine Cedar Glade Virgin Falls Walker Branch Walls of Jericho Walterhill Floodplain Washmorgan Hollow Watauga River Bluffs William B. Clark William R. Davenport Refuge Wilson School Road Window Cliffs
Other	Buffalo Ridge Refuge Catoosa Wildlife Management Area