user posted imageOne thing that is on every child's mind right now is the thoughts of all that candy that they will get from walking door to door in their costumes that they always look forward to wearing each October.I remember as a youngster there were few things that got me as excited as seeing the end of October roll around and the chance to go Trick Or Treating. I guess that some things never change, because even though I have grown too old to go out after candy, I still enjoy having children visit my front porch in their costumes, ready to get their handful of goodies!

Would you like to take a vacation without missing all of the Halloween festivities? Breaks Interstate Park will have plenty to offer those that wish to spend October 26th and 27th with us. Events will kick off Friday evening with a costume contest where you will get the chance to compete against others for prizes. Following the contest will be Movie Night, and we will be playing one of my favorite Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus. Saturday will offer a variety of events including Halloween Tye Dye shirts, hayrides, campsite decorating contest and Trick Or Treating in the Campground.

October is a beautiful time of year to visit the park, or any park that is close to you for that matter. Beautiful fall colors and mild weather makes it a great time to be outdoors. So regardless of your Halloween plans, make sure to spend some time this fall at your local State Park. You will be glad that you did!

For more information, contact Raines at 276-865-4413 ext. 3221, or by emailing me HERE.
View of The Towers From Lover's Leap
user posted imageWhat an Autumn we have had! Beautiful colors to be found all over the park, and all over Pine Mountain for that matter! Things have really sped up over the last several days. Peak was expected to hit on the 22nd, but here at the park I believe it actually occurred a few days earlier. A trip out to the Stateline Overlook yesterday showed a ton of leaf drop. Trees have been dropping their leaves heavily since the windy days over the weekend. I would estimate the leaf drop at about 20% in some areas. Many of the overlooks are still showing plenty of color, but I am now starting to see bare trees where you can see right down to the forest floor. What leaves are still on the trees are still showing great color and some of the most brilliant are Poplar, Maple, Oak, Beach, Dogwood, Sassafras and Hickory. To be honest, I haven’t seen a tree on the park that isn’t showing some color. Now is the time to come out and enjoy the sights. They won’t be here too much longer! Read More
Early October view from the State Line Overlook
user posted imageWell, Autumn is here and for me Summer passed by so fast I hardly had time to enjoy it! It seems like just yesterday we were having the infamous heat wave passing though the east and were having to dealing with daytime temps up and over 100 degrees Fahrenheit! Next thing you know, our average temps are dramatically falling, with mid to upper 70's here on any given day.

I remember as a youngster that when school started back and the temperatures started to cool down, it could only mean one thing. Time was nearing for the spooks, monsters and goblins to appear, and Halloween candy was everywhere! As a child with candy on the brain, one thing that I failed to notice was the beauty that surrounded my home in the mountains at that time of year because it was also at that time of year that the leaves' color change was at its' peak. It wasn't until I grew up and lost interest in Trick or Treating that I fully began to appreciate the magnificence of Mother Nature's artwork as the leaves would change to beautiful shades of yellow, red and orange.READ MORE.

Autumn Birding at the Breaks

Well, it is time to bid farewell to summer, and boy did we have one! After heatwaves, droughts and many other things, Autumn has finally decided to make her presence known. Temps are steadily dropping as we welcome October, and the brillaint, changing colors of the leaves are starting to take the place of what was once green. The Autumn migration is in full swing now, and many birds can be seen making their way south for the Winter.

A great variety of birds have been turning up at the park in different locations. Here is a brief list of recent sightings.

Cedar Waxwings
Hooded Warblers
Chipping Sparrows
Bay Breasted Warblers
Black Throated Green Warblers
Black and White Warblers
Blue Headed Vireos
Red Shouldered Hawks
Red Tailed Hawks
Ospreys
Black Vultures

As the season progresses many more birds will be out and about for viewing. Good locations at the park for bird watching have been the Stateline Overlook, Beaver Pond Trail, the Bike Trail and the Garden Hole.

If you are a birder and happen to be passing though, be sure to stop by. While you are here, grab a good meal and cup of coffee at our lodge. This time of year makes for a wonderful time at the park!

I can be reached by e-mailing me HERE.
user posted imageBreaks Park will pay tribute to nature throughout this weekend, with programs focusing on such topics as ecology, geology, birding, wildlife, plants and wildflowers, bears, reptiles and amphibians and much more.

The first annual Naturalist Weekend is a great opportunity for people of all ages and knowledge levels to come together to explore the many natural resources of the park, said Park Naturalist Jayd Raines. Programs are planned beginning on the afternoon of Friday, September 21, and concluding on Sunday morning, September 23.

The planned schedule is as follows:

Friday
1:00 PM- 5:00 PM- Booking Signing with Tony Scales
7:00 PM- Greeting and Weekend Overview
8:00 PM- Grandma Kept a Buckeye in Her Purse- Learn the old-time way to “doctor” colds, warts, freckles, baldness, and all the others miseries known to mankind.
9:30 PM- Owl Prowl
Saturday
8:00 AM- Early Morning Birding Trip
9:00 AM-12:00 PM- Booking Signing with Tony Scales
10:00 AM- Plant and Wildflower Hike
10:30 AM- 12:00 PM- Introduction to Geocaching
11:30 AM- Herpetology Field Trip- A hike to search out native reptiles and amphibians.
1:00 PM- 4:00 PM- Lunar Samples on Display- On loan for one day here at the Breaks are samples from the Moon that we are allowed to display courtesy of NASA.
1:00 PM- Geology Hike
4:00 PM- Stream Ecology Fieldtrip- Visit a local stream and learn more about the species found in streams and the role that they play in determining water quality and pollution.
7:00 PM- Bears!
8:30 PM- Colors of the Mountains
10:00 PM- Moon Observation on Potter’s Knoll
Sunday
9:30 AM- Who’s Who in the Forest? – This woodland trek will highlight interesting trees, shrubs, and wildflowers; explore plant-animal communities, and consider Breaks geology.

Raines noted that there would be something for anyone interested in nature to enjoy, including adults, children, students, youth organizations and more.

For more information, contact Raines at 276-865-4413 ext. 3221, or by emailing me HERE.