BY DENISE WILLIAMS
Staff Writer

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - Bobcats and otters and wolves. Oh my!
It looks like a miniature 19th century ark unloaded at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport.

Park visitors will be able to get up close and personal with animals which have long been extinct in the wild in East Tennessee.

For instance, the gray wolf has been extinct in Tennessee since 1850, according to Park Senior Naturalist David Taylor. But today, four gray wolves call Bays Mountain Park home.
The two males and two female wolves share a 1.5-acre enclosure near the center of the park’s animal habitat area. Visitors can watch the interactions between the wolves and, if they’re lucky, hear them howl.

In addition to the wolves, the nearly extinct river otters are also making a comeback.

The park’s otter, Mr. Kringle, has a habitat near the 44-acre man-made lake which once served as Kingsport’s water supply.
Some animals have been extinct in Tennessee even longer than the wolves.

Visitors get a big shock when they enter the lower level of the Nature Center and encounter a full-scale replica of a young Edmontosaurus - the only dinosaur whose fossilized bones have been found in Tennessee.

The 16-foot skeleton looks like it’s being excavated from the wall. It is the focal point of a series of smaller displays on prehistoric life and geological history.

The lower level also has several dozen fossils unearthed in Gray, on loan from East Tennessee State University. The bones were unearthed during road excavation. So far, they have found bones from tapir, rhinoceros, alligator and an elephant-like creature who all called Tennessee home 4.5 million to 18 million years ago.

The live animal habitats are home to white-tail deer, bobcats, raccoons and birds of prey.

Many of the animals at the park were captive-bred. Others were pets who became unmanageable and others were taken from people who owned them illegally.

However they started out their lives, they now all live in comfortable, realistic quarters and have 165,000 visitors per year.

But animals aren’t the only thing Bays Mountain has to offer.
Families can enjoy a picnic at one of the shade-covered tables located between the parking lots. Some lucky families have been visited by wild deer hoping to share the meal.

Visitors can also cool off with a 45-minute barge ride on the lake. From that perspective, visitors can sometimes spot osprey, Canadian geese, snapping turtles and great blue heron. There are also several beaver lodges along the lake.

There are 25 miles of trails that circle and crisscross through the park, providing the opportunity to observe native woodland plants, and the occasional deer, turkey, rabbit or squirrel.
Naturalists and volunteers offer entertaining and educational activities in the Herpetarium, Discovery Theater and Raptor Center.

The local astronomy club also presents tours of the summer sky. During the planetarium show you’ll meet a family learning the major constellations of the summer sky.

Or you can view the real sky during special skywatching sessions at the observatory. The observatory houses several large telescopes which are open to the public at special times.
During the summer months, the park also presents daily nature programs on topics such as bats, outdoor safety, venomous animals, adaptive coloration, wolf, snakes and raptors.

Bays Mountain opened in May 1971. It is owned and operated by the city of Kingsport and is one of the largest city-owned parks in the country. The primary focus of its 3,381-acre outdoor classroom is environmental education.

Approximately 25,000 school children from 50 counties visit the park each year, Taylor said.

The park’s goal is to impart conservation through education. But kids just think it’s fun.

GETTING THERE: Take I-181N to Exit 52. Turn left at the red light onto Reservoir Road. Continue on Reservoir Road for approximately 3 miles. Turn right onto Bays Mountain Park Road, take the left fork and continue up the mountain.

ADMISSION: $3 per car or $12 per bus. All public programs, including Nature Cener programs, are $1.50 per person.
HOURS: Between March-May and August-October park hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday and 1-8 p.m. Sunday. The Nature Center is open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 1-8 p.m. on weekends.
Between June-September, park hours are 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-8 p.m. Sunday.
Between November-February, park hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The Nature Center is open the same hours during the week and 1-5 p.m. weekends.

INFORMATION: Phone (423) 229-9447

On the Net: www.baysmountain.com