A partnership effort between community volunteers, corporate sponsors and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Darrell’s Dream provides hours of fun for children with and without disabilities and their entire families.
Special features include universally accessible playground equipment and surfaces, a walking trail accessible by the blind, a tree house, a sand play area, an environmental maze with interactive play stations, an amphitheater, a picnic pavilion, specially designed restroom facilities, and pedestrian bridge. All of this and more in a beautiful natural lakeside setting inside the most visited state park in Tennessee.
There is no admission charge.
Charter Communications Pavilion
You’ll find this a perfect gathering spot for children and families to have a snack, sit and chat, or take a brief rest. And the pavilion enhances the environmental education offered by the park naturalist, Marty Silvers.
Eastman A-MAZE-ing Play Area
This area is filled with many unique play opportunities designed to engage children in using both natural and man-made elements. From a xylophone to a puppet theater, from an herb garden to a vine-covered arbor, children of all ages and abilities will learn while they play.
Food City Ed and Eva Moore Tots Play Area
This area is specially designed for children ages 2-5. Play equipment helps with the development of physical skills and intellectual concepts in this age-appropriate space. Children can do the things they love to do over and over again: slide, teeter-totter, and swing, all in a soft-landing surface area.
Mountain State Health Alliance Adventure Island
Designed for children ages 5-12, who usually play in pairs or small groups. While exploring this area’s special features, children learn by planning, establishing rules and decisions and gathering for social interaction. This area is packed with the fun and the physical. Children have their choices among three different slides, swings, zip line, climbing walls, swing-out overhead, and many other learning stations.
Speedway Children’s Charities Sand Island
You don’t have to sit down to play in this sand box that challenges the imagination of children. It’s designed to allow wheelchairs to roll right up to the table. Manipulative play with natural elements like sand gives children of all abilities the opportunity to experiment and learning how things work and relate to each other.
The Lions Narnia™ Braille Trail
Thanks to the Lions Club organization, this trail removes barriers for the blind, visually impaired and handicapped. Based on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe fantasy by C.W. Lewis, the trail features eight sensory stations along a quarter-mile, wheelchair-accessible Braille trail. Here, visitors follow the story of Aslan the lion. Each station has an exhibit, a large print sign with Braille and a speaker button that activates an audio theatrical recording.
The Anderson Tree House and Interactive Wildlife Walk
Sponsored by Sam and DeLois Anderson, this destination will thrill children of all ages as they play among the treetops in a state-of-the-art tree house. On the trail leading to the tree house, children will learn about The Great Warriors’ Path and learn to be a great warrior. And they will learn more about the native wildlife that makes their home amongst the trees and grounds at Warriors’ Path State Park. The Interactive Wildlife Walk is also equipped with large print Braille signs.
The Palmer Center Foundation Amphitheater
This unique feature is a great meeting and teaching place. Seating 120 people in a semi-circular arrangement facing a 16 ft. x 24 ft. stage, the amphitheater is designed designed for classroom instruction, lectures, entertainment purposes, birthday parties, weddings, showers, family reunions, concerts and movie nights, etc.
Lions Club Omni Spinner
The Omni Spinner is a rotating playground structure designed for children of all abilities, including those who utilize wheelchairs. The Omni Spinner features high-backed seats, transfer points from wheelchair of walker, durable craftsmanship, and a speed limiter for safety.
