Lakeside Trail: Bays Mountain Park, Kingsport, TN.
Beaver Dams. Bridges. Nature in an Educational Setting.
The Hike: Yes, you've seen the wolves and visited the planetarium. Maybe you've even been out on the boat ... but have you ever hiked at Bay's Mountain? Believe it or not, there are over 38 miles of great trails there, lots of geocaches, and some great peaks with vistas. We haven't hiked a lot at Bays, but we have hiked Lakeside Trail a few times and it is lovely. The trail winds its way around the Kingsport Reservoir with lots of diversity and water crossings to keep little ones going. Take a copy of this map with you http://www.baysmountain.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TrailMap.pdf and impress your kids with the concept that your are walking around the WHOLE LAKE!! It depends on the route you take, but I believe our hike ended at about 2.5 miles. The last section is through the animal habitats, which is a great distraction for tired hikers. Last, go to the planetarium for some star gazing ...or a nice post-hike snooze! (We love learning about the stars but yes, that is probably us snoring behind you!)
Directions: To get to Bays Mountain, take I-26 to Exit #3, Meadowview Parkway and head Westish, away from Kingsport on Meadowview Road which turns into Reservoir Road. Continue on Reservoir Road for 2 miles looking closely for a Bays Mountain sign...it will be a right hand turn onto the road that leads up into the park. Start looking for deer and other wildlife that hang out on that road. As you get to the park you will come upon the guard house, where you will pay a $4.00 fee per vehicle. For more information on Bays Mountain, see
http://www.baysmountain.com/.
Beaver Dams. Bridges. Nature in an Educational Setting.
The Hike: Yes, you've seen the wolves and visited the planetarium. Maybe you've even been out on the boat ... but have you ever hiked at Bay's Mountain? Believe it or not, there are over 38 miles of great trails there, lots of geocaches, and some great peaks with vistas. We haven't hiked a lot at Bays, but we have hiked Lakeside Trail a few times and it is lovely. The trail winds its way around the Kingsport Reservoir with lots of diversity and water crossings to keep little ones going. Take a copy of this map with you http://www.baysmountain.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TrailMap.pdf and impress your kids with the concept that your are walking around the WHOLE LAKE!! It depends on the route you take, but I believe our hike ended at about 2.5 miles. The last section is through the animal habitats, which is a great distraction for tired hikers. Last, go to the planetarium for some star gazing ...or a nice post-hike snooze! (We love learning about the stars but yes, that is probably us snoring behind you!)
Directions: To get to Bays Mountain, take I-26 to Exit #3, Meadowview Parkway and head Westish, away from Kingsport on Meadowview Road which turns into Reservoir Road. Continue on Reservoir Road for 2 miles looking closely for a Bays Mountain sign...it will be a right hand turn onto the road that leads up into the park. Start looking for deer and other wildlife that hang out on that road. As you get to the park you will come upon the guard house, where you will pay a $4.00 fee per vehicle. For more information on Bays Mountain, see
http://www.baysmountain.com/.
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