A Look Back

Your support in 2025 made a difference on Grandfather Mountain. Thank you!

2025 allowed us to grow further into our mission through the construction of Yonni’s Clubhouse, the expansion of educational programs offered in Avery County and on the mountain and through the wonderful events held. We are grateful for the growth and accomplishments made! Here is a look at some of the highlights of 2025 on Grandfather Mountain:

Joining the Chronolog citizen science project 
In 2025, we set up four public photo stations to invite guests to participate in Chronolog, a citizen science project. Chronolog is a time-lapse program where visitors take photos of a particular area with their own devices and upload them to the Chronolog organization’s website. In addition, guests can go to the website to see a time-lapse slideshow of images from their location and observe how the view has changed over time. Read more.

Grandfather Mountain and Cranberry Middle School launch TRAIL Blazers program 
Grandfather and a local middle school partnered to create the TRAIL (Teaching Responsibility And Inspiring Leadership) Blazer program. The program features a series of hikes progressing in difficulty throughout the school year, with a goal of nurturing students’ skills in confidence, leadership, planning, team building and trail etiquette. Read more.

Grandfather welcomes Leroy the bald eagle 
In July, Grandfather welcomed Leroy, a bald eagle from Oklahoma, who is beaming with character. Leroy was found stranded on the bank of a large lake with an injury to his left wrist. This injury resulted in permanent changes to Leroy’s left carpus, which does not allow the normal range of motion required for sustained flight. Due to this, Leroy could not be released to the wild and was in need of a new home. He made a cross-country trip by vehicle to his new home at Grandfather Mountain. Read more.

Expansion of the Wild Watch Program 
Grandfather Mountain expanded its Wild Watch Program to include third and fifth-grade students in the region. This program, which is operated by the department of interpretation and education, partners with local school systems to provide educational enrichment opportunities for students and supports the instructional efforts of the teachers in their classrooms. Read more.

Grandfather Presents: Nature’s Song of Renewal: Ecological Resilience After Helene 
To acknowledge the one-year milestone of Hurricane Helene impacting Avery County and many surrounding areas, Grandfather held a compelling panel discussion exploring nature’s resilience after Hurricane Helene with powerful findings and updates one year later. Panelists included meteorologist Brad Panovich, wildlife biologist Marquette Crockett and geologist Philip Prince. The three provided key insights as to how the natural world changed because of Helene, what we’ve learned from the storm and what findings may still be to come. Following the panel discussion, a nature-inspired concert by traveling composer/performer Ben Cosgrove took place in the Classroom in the Clouds. Ben Cosgrove debuted a song inspired by his time spent at Grandfather Mountain. Watch the event recap here. 

Other Grandfather Presents speakers in 2025 included Jeff Corwin, T. Edward Nickens and Conor Knighton.

Hawk Watch 2025 Report
2025 saw the second-highest tally of raptors on record. The busiest day of the count came on Sept. 20, with 3,583 birds recorded! Read more.

 Launching the Legacy Society 
In 2025, the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation launched the Legacy Society. This new giving society allows individuals to make a planned gift to Grandfather Mountain to ensure that the wonders of the mountain continue to have an enduring presence for the next generation. Planned giving helps to protect the vital ecosystems on the mountain, expand research and education and engage people of all ages to experience and care for the natural world. Learn more.

Our education and natural resources staff members were also hard at work last year providing outreach opportunities for schools, interactive experiences for groups and optimal visits for park guests. Here are just a few of those highlights:

25,499 people took part in the park’s Interpretive Programs
8% increase over 2024

82,742 people participated in animal habitat education and Special Programs 
34% increase over 2024 

12,322 students served with on-site Educational Programs and Outreach
32% increase over 2024

1,293 hours dedicated to Trail Maintenance
7% increase over 2024