Knox County workers were in Collier Preserve on Oct. 6, installing panels for the storybook trail that Knox County Public Library is sponsoring. A check with the library shows a grand opening is set for Thursday, Oct. 20, at 4:30 p.m. Expect food trucks and rock painting.
This will be the county’s second storybook trail. The first was opened in September in West View Park. These are permanent installations along accessible paths in local parks. The goal is to encourage reading, imagination, movement and the outdoors as readers move from panel to panel (like a page in a book) as they read and talk about a story. Stories will be changed seasonally.
Having families enjoy the land that was once his grandmother’s farm was a goal of the late Dr. Bob Collier, who donated the 12 acres that adjoin the Powell Library and Beaver Creek. Legacy Parks Foundation developed the park and placed a conservation easement on the land before turning it over to Knox County Parks and Recreation.
Join us Friday, October 14, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. for the 2022 Legacy Luncheon for the Parks. Author Cheryl Strayed will share her adventures from hiking the Pacific Crest Trail as we overlook the beautiful Holston River from the spectacular Strong Stock Farm. The luncheon funds the work of Legacy Parks to create parks and trails and conserve our natural resources. Since 2007, Legacy Parks Foundation has raised more than $12 million for parks and open space.
This week
Tuesday, Oct. 11
Harvey Broome Group Monthly Meeting: 7 p.m. TN Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. Free. Info: Harvey Broom Sierra Club. Anyone interested in exploring the outdoors is invited to come and find out more from the leaders directly. This month’s program is How Thru Hiking Accidentally Changed My Life, by Hope Westall, CEO of Alt Route Meals. Open to the public.
Thursday, Oct. 13
Kayak 101 at Fort Dickerson Quarry: 6 p.m., Ft. Dickerson Quarry. Cost $35. Info: River Sports Outfitters at 865-523-0066. We’ll dive into basic skills such as the forward stroke, sweep stroke, and ferrying. Cost $35, includes class and equipment. Register online.
Down the road
Saturday, October 15
Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day: 9-noon, Baker Creek Preserve. Free. Info: Appalachian Mountain Bike Club. Join us for a morning of fun at the bike park. Details online.
Sunday, October 16
Sierra Club: Autumn Glory in the Smokies – Oct. 16-21: 8 a.m., GSM Institute at Tremont. Info: Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont at 865-448-6709. Each day we travel to our trail location for the day’s hike. Enjoy evening programs such as Appalachian storytelling, live traditional mountain music, black bear ecology and discussion of environmental issues. Register online.
Kayak 101 at the Cove: 10 a.m., The Cove at Concord Park. Cost $35. Info: River Sports Outfitters at 865-523-0066. An introduction to kayaking where participants learn about boat dynamics, appropriate gear, basic skills such as the forward stroke, sweep stroke and ferrying. Register online.
Visit us online at OutdoorKnoxville.com. Add your event to our calendar: Submit an event at https://outdoorknoxville.com/events-calendar/submit-an-event/
Carol Evans is executive director of Legacy Parks Foundation.