Watch a Video Feature on Alexander's Ford & Bradley Nature Preserve

In 2011, CMLC permanently protected 162 acres at Alexander's Ford in Polk County.  The Alexander's Ford property along the Green River includes more than two miles of the original roadbed traveled by the Overmountain Men, a Patriot militia who in 1780 marched hundreds of miles to fight the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain The victorious battle proved to be the turning point of the American Revolution.

Hosting far more than history alone, Alexander’s Ford is now part of the new Bradley Nature Preserve.  Its verdant forests and botanical diversity make it an ecological treasure.  Polk County plans to build a picnic shelter, a bike path, and hiking trails; a portion of the property may open to the public as early as summer 2012. 

The process of seeking preservation of Alexander's Ford took more than six years.  CMLC worked with the landowner and Polk County to garner grants from three North Carolina trust funds—Parks and Recreation Trust Fund,  Natural Heritage Trust Fund, and Clean Water Management Trust Fund. This collaboration is reflective of the many assets of Alexander's Ford: water quality, historic preservation, wildlife habitat and public recreation.

In October, the Overmountain Victory Trail Association (OVTA) and the National Park Service certified Alexander's Ford as part of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.  Colonial reenactors from the OVTA commenorated the newly protected part of the Trail, firing a volley from their muskets in celebration.

Like the Overmountain Men, CMLC and the project’s many supporters persevered to protect something important for future generations.  The permanent conservation of the land will forever honor those who bravely sacrificed for our nation’s freedom.

To read more about Alexander's Ford, read Saving More Than Mountains: Timeless History Protected at Alexander's Ford.