News & Events

Long Hunter State Park ranger Leslie Anne Rawlings stands beside one of the signs on the new Reading Ranger Story Trail and peruses Marianne Berkes’ Over in the Forest: Come and Take a Peek. The state park will play host to the grand opening of the Story Trail at 11 a.m. Saturday. Photo submitted

Hey, mom and dad. What would you think about taking your kid or kiddos on a short hike where, along the pathway, colorful illustrations teach your youngsters about the creatures that inhabit the neighborhood? Long Hunter State Park has just the place. The Reading Ranger Story Trail, which debuts at 11 a.m. Saturday, pairs Mother Nature with literacy and exercise and challenges your kids to stretch their legs and imaginations. The brainchild of Long Hunter park ranger Leslie Anne Rawlings, the Story Trail shares Marianne Berkes' children's book Over in the Forest: Come and Take a Peek. It features 10 colorful signs depicting deer, possums, turkeys, box turtles, squirrels, woodpeckers, raccoons, skunks, red fox and beaver--all critters that live in the park--and even shows their little tracks. The Reading Ranger Story Trail is also a first for Tennessee State Parks, a coup for Long Hunter. LHSP the perfect location Read more