springtime views of Kingsport from the Bays Mtn. firetower (Johnson City: lease, work)

[kamoshika]

The haze yesterday didn't make for the best views I've seen from up there, but it was clear enough to capture most of the surrounding scenery.

Looking northeast towards Clinch Mtn. in VA, with downtown Kingsport in the upper right and the Holston River winding its way around Holston Army Ammunition Plant (HAAP) on the left. The river separates Hawkins Co. from Sullivan County; Kingsport lies in both counties:



Closer view of downtown Kingsport, most of which is to the right of the Domtar paper mill in the middle of the picture:



Part of the sprawling HAAP complex. HAAP owns over nine square miles of Hawkins County land surrounding the plant, which has been around since WWII and is the Western world's largest manufacturer of high explosives. In this pic, you can see the blast walls around each of the buildings:



View looking west into Hawkins Co., with Mount Carmel in the upper right and Church Hill in the upper middle:



To the southwest:



Looking SE over Bays Mtn. Lake toward Johnson City. If you squint hard enough you can see 6285' Roan Mountain in the background, which is about 36 miles from the firetower as the crow flies. Buffalo Mountain (which overlooks JC) is in front of Roan:



The country club subdivision of Ridgefields and adjacent Huntington Hills take up most of this pic. The club's Donald Ross-designed golf course was completed almost 60 years ago:



A handsome little guy (common garter snake) I ran across on the road below the firetower:

[jabogitlu]

Beautiful pictures, one again, Kamoshika. Thanks for sharing. And you sure know your geography!

[JoshB]

Those are some stunning pictures! I may be checking out the Tri-Cities this fall and I was wondering where about is this located? Also what time of Fall is the best for colors down there?

Thanks, Josh

[kamoshika]

Originally Posted by JoshB

Those are some stunning pictures! I may be checking out the Tri-Cities this fall and I was wondering where about is this located? Also what time of Fall is the best for colors down there?

Thanks, it's pretty easy to capture the beauty of NE Tennessee! The firetower is in Kingsport's Bays Mountain Park, one of the nation's largest municipal parks at over 3,500 acres. It's about a 35-40 minute hike from the park visitor's center.

Here are a few shots I took up there last fall:
kamoshika93/Bays Mtn 102707 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Normally late October is the best time to see good color here, but this year the peak was in early/mid-November.

[BuzzCam]

Thanks for posting your pictures. They are very good!

I have been up to that Fire Tower several times, but unfortunately, each time the haze was pretty bad, so I never got any pictures as good as the ones you posted here.

I need to dig out some old photos I shot in the 70's and 80's when I worked at Channel 5's Transmitter on Holston Mountain. What an awesome view I had when working shifts up there, especially in the winter. If I can find them, I will post them here.

Thanks again for your pics!
Buzz

[kamoshika]

Originally Posted by BuzzCam

I need to dig out some old photos I shot in the 70's and 80's when I worked at Channel 5's Transmitter on Holston Mountain. What an awesome view I had when working shifts up there, especially in the winter. If I can find them, I will post them here.

Please do so, I'd love to see 'em! Would especially like to see some photos from those days of old when we actually got some real snow, not this pitiful 1" stuff we now get in the Tri-Cities.

[JoshB]

Kamoshika, What time of day is best for viewing? Does the park cost anything?

Thanks, Josh

[kamoshika]

Originally Posted by JoshB

Kamoshika, What time of day is best for viewing? Does the park cost anything?

The entrance fee is $3 per car. On sunny or partly cloudy days, the best times for viewing are mornings before 10:00 (the park opens at 8:30 every day except Sun.) and late afternoons/early evenings an hour or two before sunset, depending on the time of year. The main reason is that almost everything looks better when the sun's not directly overhead.

Welcome to Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport, Tennessee