Esteemed videographer Ben Carland interviewed CMLC trustees during our 11th Annual Conservation Celebration at Deerfields in Mills River. Learn why our supporters so deeply value conservation and CMLC's mission to save the places you love in western North Carolina.
All Current News, Events and Hikes
Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and Park Ridge Health present the Bearwallow Beast 5K and Honey & Hops Festival. This challenging race ranks among the most difficult in the southeast, featuring 1,300 feet of elevation gain over its 3.1 miles.
When: Sunday May 6th, 2012 at 2:00 P.M.
Where: Gerton, NC
Cost: $25 for pre-registrants, $30 for week of registrants
Are you ready to tackle the Beast?
Join the race to Save our Mountains!
Find out more at
www.bearwallowbeast.com
Register now at imathlete.com
Date of this Event: Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:00am
Join CMLC for a special public hike to the Johnson Branch property on Saturday, April 28th. Permanently protected in December 2009, Johnson Branch has over 8,600 feet of streams and is an integral part of the French Broad watershed. On our hike, we will follow Morgan and Betty Jones' preexisting trail system along these tributaries to see cascading waterfalls and sprouting wildflowers. Further highlights include an awe-inspiring vista and a newly constructed trail that eases the severity of our route. Hike leader Betty Jones has catalogued hundreds of species on her land, and will make for an excellent guide. This is a strenuous 2.5-mile loop trail with an elevation change of 700 ft. Hikers must be in good physical condition. Proper hiking gear and poles are highly recommended. Join us for a special hiking opportunity otherwise inaccesible to the public. Email chet@carolinamountain.org or call (828)697-5777x211 to reserve your spot today!
Date of this Event: Sat, 03/10/2012 - 10:00am
Explore the beautiful woods of Sylvan Habitat, a conservation-based development near Dupont State Forest. Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy invites you on a free, guided hike in a scenic forest near Brevard. Sylvan Habitat has striven to “create a community that minimizes impact while maximizing access to outdoor recreation.” We will traverse parts of the 200+ acres that CMLC has worked to protect since 2001. This 2-3 hour moderate hike will be about 3 miles in length. To sign up, email chet@carolinamountain.org or call (828)697-5777x211 now!
CMLC is asking you to get involved with the conservation in your community! We have two workdays coming up that will help steward some of the areas we have protected, and we need volunteers! Here they are:
Lewis Creek Preserve Afternoon Work - Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012; 1:00 - 5:00 PM. Volunteers are needed to help do some finishing work on a half-mile walking trail that is currently under creation at Lewis Creek. Additional volunteer help is needed with invasive species removal in the rare Southern Appalachian bog habitat present on the preserve. Project Challenge, a fantastic service organization for youth in North Carolina, will be helping at Lewis Creek this afternoon, so come out and work with some youth working to make their community a better place!
Cane Creek Workday at Fletcher Community Park - Saturday, February 25th, 2012; 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. CMLC is working to restore River Cane to the Greenway along Fletcher Community Park.! Volunteers will help local youth remove invasive species and plant River Cane to restore the historical ecology and heritage of this valuable public space.
Volunteers are a valued and critical part of CMLC's work. If you can't make these workdays, never fear- volunteers will be needed for future workdays, spring conservation easement monitoring, and CMLC and Park Ridge's spring Bearwallow Beast 5k. Please consider volunteering for a few hours! Please contact Mark van der Linden at (828) 697-5777 or mark@carolinamountain.org to learn how you can help fulfill our mission, and watch our website for upcoming opportunities!
Date of this Event: Sat, 01/28/2012 - 9:00am
CMLC invites you to a free winter hike to the top of Rich Mountain. Starting from Camp High Rocks’ beautiful grounds, near DuPont State Forest, we’ll cross a few horse pastures, then pick up a strenuous trail through open forest. We’ll pause for a breather between two unique and massive rock formations, and then we’ll make a short, but steep climb up the southeast ridge of Rich Mountain to the top. The summit affords virtually 360 degree views, with particularly good views of the Blue Ridge to the west and north—perfect for a lunch break before heading down. CMLC has been granted access by the Camp’s owners, Townsend and Hank Birdsong. This is a special opportunity to walk through the camp en route to the beautiful Cathedral Rock formations and up to the summit of Rich Mountain, where you’ll have breathtaking views of the surroundings. This is a STRENUOUS HIKE on existing trails, with a total elevation ascent of about 700 feet in 3 miles. Be aware, there are several steep sections during the ascent and descent.
Space is limited, so email chet@carolinamountain.org or call (828)697-5777x211 to reserve your spot today! Children 12 and over are welcome to join our hikes. We unfortunately cannot accomodate dogs at this time.
Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy needs your help to win gas for a year! CITGO's Fueling Good Program is awarding $5,000 gas cards to non-profits receiving the most online votes. Voting is easy and takes only seconds. Vote once a day through February 9th. Help "fuel" our mission to save the places you love!
Click here to vote for CMLC!
How Far Can a Gallon of Gas Go? CITGO is supporting organizations that make our communities a better place--one gallon at a time. The 2011 Fueling Good Program is awarding $120,000 in Gas Gift Cards to 24 non-profits across the country. Will you help CMLC be one of them? Your vote counts--every day.
Want to help even more? Tell others to vote by sharing the news through Facebook, Twitter, or email using the social media buttons below. Remember, everyone can vote once a day!
Alexander’s Ford protected by CMLC; certified as part of the Overmountain Victory Trail
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.
Date of this Event: Sat, 12/17/2011 - 9:00am
Join CMLC for a member's-only hike led by CMLC trustee Diana Richards and CMLC Trails & Outreach Coordinator Peter Barr to Pool Creek Falls at Worlds Edge in Hickory Nut Gorge. This 2.25 mile hike on the slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain is highlighted by Pool Creek Falls, where we will stop to eat lunch and enjoy the scenery. This hike is not on maintained trails and features two very difficult stream crossings. Hikers will also be forced to navigate several downed trees, so this hike is recommended for experienced hikers only. The group is limited to 15 attendees, so sign up now to experience this otherwise inaccesible portion of the Worlds Edge tract!
To sign up, please email chet@carolinamountain.org or call (828)697-5777 ext. 211. We hope to see you out on the trail!
In December, CMLC began construction on a new section of hiking trail that connects CMLC's newly opened trailhead on Highway 74A to the 600-acre Florence Nature Preserve (FNP). Located in the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge near the hamlet of Gerton, the new section of trail will replace a steep and eroded trail that currently accesses the FNP. This new, sustainable trail will feature multiple switchbacks to improve the grade of the ascent to FNP. The new route, open to foot traffic only, will also incorporate multiple natural and cultural points of interest as it accesses the Preserve and its five-mile hiking trail network on the slopes of Little Pisgah Mountain. The existing trail will be closed following construction of the new access trail. Construction of this trail re-route is scheduled to be completed in January 2012.
HIKERS: Please use extra caution. Hiking access to FNP will remain open during trail construction. However, please pay extra attention to safety while hiking to FNP during the construction process. Heavy machinery & tools are in use among the trail crew. Stay alert and ensure your presence is known if you hike near the construction.
For directions to the trailhead, click here to enter your address and receive turn-by-turn directions to the the trailhead. GPS users may enter N35.4734, W-82.3320 in their units. Located off of Highway 74A, the grassy parking area is most recognizable by a rock wall and stone chimney. Park here, making sure to leave space for other vehicles.
Florence Nature Preserve'a 600 acres harbor pristine mountain streams, old growth forest, and rock outcroppings with scenic views. The Preserve was donated to CMLC for preservation and public access by Dr. Tom & Glenna Florence in 1996 and 2001. FNP and its new public trailhead on Highway 74A will one day be part of the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Loop Trail that will link conserved lands at Bearwallow Mountain and Hickory Nut Gap by footpath. For more information on CMLC's Florence Nature Preserve, click here.
