Bays Mountain
Encyclopedia
Bays Mountain is a ridge
of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
, located in eastern Tennessee
. It runs southwest to northeast, from just south of Knoxville
to Kingsport
.
Its southern segment is relatively low in elevation (up to about 1300 feet (396.2 m)). In some places it essentially merges with the surrounding plains, especially where it is bisected by the French Broad River
and the Nolichucky River
.
The northern segment of Bays Mountain reaches higher elevations, averaging above 2000 feet (609.6 m) with peaks reaching up to 3000 feet (914.4 m). It is not a single ridge, but rather a series of closely related ridges, some of which have names of their own. The highest peak is Chimneytop Mountain (3117 feet (950.1 m)), a spur ridge south of the main Bays Mountain ridge. Bays Mountain runs just south of the Holston River
, which flows northeast to southwest. At Kingsport the Holston River curves east and south, splitting into three tributary forks that flow from Virginia
to the northeast. Bays Mountain ends abruptly at this curve of the Holston River. Kingsport is on the north side of the river, directly across from the end of Bays Mountain, where two ridges meet in a "V" with an impounded lake (the old reservoir) between the ridges.
There is a nature park and planetarium located on Bays Mountain in Kingsport, featuring cross-cut viewing sections of beaver dams, bee hives, cave systems, and more. Their outdoor park features otters, an aviary, and several free-roaming deer, as well as a wolf pen. Wolf howling sessions are held regularly, where people are allowed to howl with the wolves, spurring the wolves into howling even more. The park also features a wolf viewing cam. This camera is set up in the wolf habitat, and runs 24 hours a day. A new image is placed on the wolf cam site every 3 minutes. The cam can be viewed at http://www.baysmountain.com/Nature/wolfcam.html. From this site, you can observe all the different activities available at Bays Mountain Park. One popular activity is called the Barge Ride. This attraction features a ride through the Bays Mountain Reservoir on a pontoon boat while learning about the nature around you. The park also features a freeze-drying laboratory where animals of the region who die of natural causes are preserved for everyone to examine up close.
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...
, located in eastern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. It runs southwest to northeast, from just south of Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
to Kingsport
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
.
Its southern segment is relatively low in elevation (up to about 1300 feet (396.2 m)). In some places it essentially merges with the surrounding plains, especially where it is bisected by the French Broad River
French Broad River
The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
and the Nolichucky River
Nolichucky River
The Nolichucky River is a major stream draining the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and east Tennessee. The river is long.-Hydrography:...
.
The northern segment of Bays Mountain reaches higher elevations, averaging above 2000 feet (609.6 m) with peaks reaching up to 3000 feet (914.4 m). It is not a single ridge, but rather a series of closely related ridges, some of which have names of their own. The highest peak is Chimneytop Mountain (3117 feet (950.1 m)), a spur ridge south of the main Bays Mountain ridge. Bays Mountain runs just south of the Holston River
Holston River
The Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and east Tennessee. The three major forks of the Holston rise in southwestern Virginia and have their confluence near Kingsport, Tennessee. The North Fork flows southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia...
, which flows northeast to southwest. At Kingsport the Holston River curves east and south, splitting into three tributary forks that flow from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to the northeast. Bays Mountain ends abruptly at this curve of the Holston River. Kingsport is on the north side of the river, directly across from the end of Bays Mountain, where two ridges meet in a "V" with an impounded lake (the old reservoir) between the ridges.
There is a nature park and planetarium located on Bays Mountain in Kingsport, featuring cross-cut viewing sections of beaver dams, bee hives, cave systems, and more. Their outdoor park features otters, an aviary, and several free-roaming deer, as well as a wolf pen. Wolf howling sessions are held regularly, where people are allowed to howl with the wolves, spurring the wolves into howling even more. The park also features a wolf viewing cam. This camera is set up in the wolf habitat, and runs 24 hours a day. A new image is placed on the wolf cam site every 3 minutes. The cam can be viewed at http://www.baysmountain.com/Nature/wolfcam.html. From this site, you can observe all the different activities available at Bays Mountain Park. One popular activity is called the Barge Ride. This attraction features a ride through the Bays Mountain Reservoir on a pontoon boat while learning about the nature around you. The park also features a freeze-drying laboratory where animals of the region who die of natural causes are preserved for everyone to examine up close.