| 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 / 36.547299; -82.561839 |
| Area | 3,750 acres (15.2 km2) |
| Created | 1965 |
| Operated by | City of Kingsport |
| Open | Year Around |
| Website | http://www.baysmountain.com |
Bays Mountain Park is a 3,750 acres (15.2 km2) nature park and planetarium located on Bays MountaininKingsport, Tennessee. Founded in 1971,[1] it features a 44 acre lake and 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 a bobcat, raptor center, wolf pen and captive and free-roaming white-tail deer.[3] Wolf howling sessions are held regularly where visitors can experience the sounds of the gray wolf. There is also a herpetarium with 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 an adventure course with a zip line and 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]
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.
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