KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Warriors’ Path State Park’s annual Summer in the Park program is getting underway.

Summer in the Park features a variety of activities, from guided hikes to wildlife demonstrations, happening from May through early August.

Each week boasts a different schedule and all activities are free.

Here are the upcoming activities for May 30 – June 4 (all activities meet in and near the park’s main campground unless otherwise specified):

TUESDAY, MAY 30

9:30 a.m. – WAKE UP WALK – Let’s wake up our senses to morning in the forest. Meet at the main bath house for a refreshing morning walk.

11 a.m. – JUNIOR RANGERS: TRAIL CLEANUP – Make our park a cleaner, healthier environment! You’ll make a big difference for our earth, and begin to earn your Junior Ranger badge. Meet at the main bathhouse. Be prepared to get dirty!

12 p.m. – NATURE DIARY – Take something with you when you leave the park, the essence of the nature you have seen. We will create our own diaries and then take a stroll to start our entries. Meet at the main bathhouse.

1 p.m. – HIKE LAKE HOLLOW – Enjoy a leisurely hike through the Lake Hollow Trail and explore some of the unique habitats our animal neighbors call home. Meet at the camp store.

3 p.m. – SOIL STUDIES – It’s not just plain old “dirt!” Come “dig into” some new discoveries about the soil beneath our feet. Meet at the open-air chapel.

4 p.m. – CRITTER PATHS – Be a critter detective! Find out what’s been wandering through the campground habitats. Meet at the camp store.

5 p.m. – SOUNDS & COLORS – Try your skills as a “nature watcher!” Meet at the open-air chapel to look, listen, and learn.

6 p.m. – SPORE PRINTS – Come join us for some old-fashioned mushroom hunting! Find out more about how mushrooms spread their spores, and create some amazing art with mushroom spores. Meet at the main bathhouse.

9 p.m. – NIGHT HIKE TO FALL CREEK – It’s a whole different world out there at night! Tonight is our chance to discover the peace and the excitement of a night in the open fields near Fall Creek. Bring a dim flashlight and drive to the camp store. We’ll carpool out to the park backcountry.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31

9:30 a.m. – MEET THE DUCKS – Are they more than “quacky communicators?” Observe duck sign language. Meet at the camp store.

10:30 a.m. – LAKESIDE HIKE – Let’s enjoy a peaceful morning hike and find some different habitats along the Lakeshore and Connector trails. Meet at the main bathhouse.

12 p.m. – INSECT ART – They’re more than just creepy crawlers. Take a closer look – insects have some amazing colors and patterns! Let’s use insects as “living models” for our art. Meet at the open-air chapel, or main bathhouse if it is raining.

2 p.m. – SOIL CREATURES – Discover the amazing world of life in the ground at our feet. Meet at the open-air chapel to “dig into” a new world.

3 p.m. – WEB OF LIFE – Every living thing is part of the web! Help us get really “tied up” in our work as we build our own living web. You’ll see natural places like you’ve never seen them before! Meet at the open-air chapel, or main bathhouse if it is raining.

4 p.m. – “WONDERFUL WACKY WET WEDNESDAY” – Let’s enjoy some kid-friendly water play and learning activities. You might even get to soak the Park Ranger. Meet at the open-air chapel and be prepared to get VERY WET!

6 p.m. – PEOPLE TRACKS – Every living thing changes the land it lives on. How have we people changed the park land? Meet at the open-air chapel to begin a short hike as we “track down” signs of the many folks who have touched this land.

9 p.m. – OUR BACKYARD BATS – Bats live in almost every community in North America! Come discover more about our neighborhood bats with an interactive slideshow. Meet at the open-air chapel, or pool entrance if it’s raining.

THURSDAY, JUNE 1

8 a.m. – BREAKFAST WITH THE BIRDS – Come wake up to our feathered neighbors. Meet at the main bathhouse to begin a stroll through bird country! (The first 12 people to come get free doughnuts & juice!)

9:30 a.m. – “FUZZ, PRICKLES & BUMPS” – Let’s use our sense of TOUCH to explore the forest. Meet at the camp store to begin our “touch & feel” hike.

11 a.m. – CORN HUSK CRAFTS – The early settlers along the Warriors’ Path couldn’t afford to waste anything! Even old corn husks could become a doll or toy. Meet at the open-air chapel to try this old-timey craft. If it’s raining, meet at the main bathhouse.

12 p.m. – DREAM CATCHERS – Let’s make these “catchy” little decorations, inspired by Native American craft. Meet at the main bathhouse.

2 p.m. – ANIMAL TALES – Sit back and enjoy some legends and tales about our wild neighbors. Be prepared to share your own “critter story” if you’d like. Meet at the open-air chapel, or main bathhouse if it is raining.

3 p.m. – NEVER-ENDING CIRCLE WALK – Nature is the “master recycler.” Let’s discover some of nature’s endless cycles. Meet at the main bathhouse.

5 p.m. – WINGS & FEATHERS & BEAKS, OH MY! – There are over 423 species of birds in Tennessee. Join us to learn all about the things that make each bird species unique. Meet at the open air chapel, or pool entrance if it’s raining.

7 p.m. – BIRDS OF PREY – Meet a real live feathered hunter. Come to the open-air chapel and see “whooo…” is waiting for you. If it is raining, meet at the main bathhouse.

9 p.m. – NIGHT SOUNDS – Nature is full of sounds when the sun goes down! Some seem eerie, but there’s no need to be nervous. Come find out whose noise is whose. Meet at the open-air chapel for a short slide show of the creatures who “talk” in the night! (At the pool entrance if it is raining.) NOTE – there will be a special NIGHT SOUNDS contest for children after the show.

FRIDAY, JUNE 2

9:30 a.m. – DEVIL’S BACKBONE HIKE – Come hike to the high places, and get some new views of our park land. Drive to the camp store, and we’ll carpool to the start of an invigorating hike.

10:30 a.m. – FOREST DISCOVERY HIKE – Be a forest detective! Come explore the web of connections along the forest trail. Meet at the main bathhouse.

11:30 a.m. – COMPOSTING – Not your everyday recycling. Find out how to turn trash into garden treasure. Meet at the open-air chapel, or main bathhouse if it’s raining.

1 p.m. – MUD ART – Let’s have a messy, slimy good time! You’ll be amazed at how creative you can be with nature’s own “fingerpaints”. Meet at the Boundless Playground to create your own natural masterpiece.

2 p.m. – TURTLE TALK – Meet a real, live “shelled friend” and find out more about their amazing lives. Meet at the open-air chapel, or main bathhouse if it is raining.

4 p.m. – FUNGUS AMONG US – Fungus is everywhere in nature, but how much do we really know about these amazing living things? Come visit with the molds, mildews & mushrooms among us! Meet at the main bathhouse.

5 p.m. – SHEDDING LIGHT ON OUR SLITHERING FRIENDS – Did you know that snakes shed their skin? Meet at the open-air chapel, or pool entrance if raining, to find out all about snake sheds.

6 p.m. – OLD TIMEY GAMES – Enjoy some good-old fun! Try some games from the early settlement days of East Tennessee. Meet at the open-air chapel, or main bathhouse if it’s raining.

9 p.m. – TENNESSEE TALES – Enjoy new insights into Tennessee folklife as we share
some good-old traditional tall tales. Meet at the open-air chapel, or pool entrance if it rains.

SATURDAY, JUNE 3

Full day of guided hikes for National Trails Day

6 a.m. – SUNRISE HIKE – You’ve got to be an “early bird” to greet the summer sunrise! Come for a short hike as we watch the new day dawn across the green East Tennessee hills. Meet at the pool parking lot, and we’ll carpool.

10 a.m. or 1 p.m. – HIKE THE MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS – Did you know that there is a National Recreational Trail system here at Warriors’ Path? And National Trails Day is a perfect day to enjoy these awesome trails! Come enjoy one of two different scenic 2-3 mile hikes through diverse wildlife habitats. Wear comfortable hiking shoes. Bring water and snacks. Meet at the Warriors’ Path Mountain Bike Trail parking lot.

3 p.m. – HIKE AND CREEK WALK – Hike to a clear flowing stream, and then walk IN the stream! Discover the amazing world of life underwater. Wear old clothes and old tennis shoes – be prepared to get wet! Meet at the pool parking lot and we’ll carpool.

6 p.m. – 100 INCH HIKE – 100 inches isn’t very far unless you’re as small as a bug! Let’s explore life on the tiny side with a series of very short hikes. Meet at the pool parking lot.

9 p.m. – NIGHT HIKE – Take a hike on the dark side of the day. We’ll find a whole new world of nature in the night-time forest. Wear good hiking boots and bring a dim flashlight. Meet at the pool parking lot and we’ll carpool.

SUNDAY, JUNE 4

9 a.m. – WORSHIP SERVICE – Enjoy a peaceful morning worship service at the Open Air Chapel, or at the pool entrance if it is raining. Sponsored by the Colonial Heights Baptist Church.