September 1, 2020
Being a mile high has its advantages. From atop Grandfather Mountain, visitors can grab a front-row seat to one of nature’s most stunning spectacles — thousands of raptors migrating over the mountains and heading south...
August 13, 2020
Due to COVID-19, Grandfather Mountain has canceled its 2020 autumn special events. According to park leaders, the nonprofit nature preserve would be unable to safely accommodate the volume of additional guests and their families who...
July 14, 2020
Bob and Susan Wilson break ground on the new conservation campus on Sept. 2, 2019. Grandfather Mountain is grateful for their extraordinary commitment to its educational mission. Robert and Susan Wilson have deep connections to...
June 23, 2020
Photo by Deborah Anderson On Saturday, June 20, Grandfather Mountain bid farewell to Gerry the black bear. Gerry was humanely euthanized following a long history of debilitating arthritis. She was 31 years old. In the wild,...
June 4, 2020
Photo by Judi Sawyer Just another day at the paw-ffice. On Wednesday, June 10, visitors to Grandfather Mountain will be able to celebrate the annual Animal Birthday Party. This special day of events at...
May 29, 2020
Photo by Skip Sickler Few plants signify summer in the mountains quite like the vivid pink Catawba rhododendron. When it comes to rhododendron, the Appalachian Mountains are in the spotlight because this particular bloom tends...
May 8, 2020
Following a two-month closure to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Grandfather Mountain will tentatively open in a limited capacity May 15, with all ticket sales moving online. In accordance with N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper’s...
April 30, 2020
At Grandfather Mountain, wonders never cease, and now we’re bringing the mountain to you — and your Zoom meetings, friends, family and kiddos! With much of the nation working from home, Grandfather Mountain is providing...
April 16, 2020
As one of Grandfather Mountain’s most popular river otters, Luna would always make an impression — and a splash — by performing backflips and interacting with her fans. Photos courtesy of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship...
April 13, 2020
The Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation is wrapping up a yearlong partnership project, called Wild Watch. With a generous grant from the High Country Charitable Foundation and invaluable support from Avery County Schools, the Wild Watch...
March 14, 2020
Following a two-month closure to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Grandfather Mountain has reopened, with ticket sales moving online. In accordance with N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper’s three-phased “reopening” of North Carolina, the park is...
February 7, 2020
A new decade brings new experiences for guests to enjoy at Grandfather Mountain in 2020. With a mission to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of...
December 4, 2019
With winter on the way, Grandfather Mountain is decking its halls — and hills — for the holidays. Visitors are invited to celebrate the season from a mile high, where they’ll encounter idyllic winter scenery,...
November 14, 2019
Dozens of nature lovers and bird advocates braved the wintry weather Wednesday to hear officials from Audubon North Carolina and Grandfather Mountain talk with N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael S. Regan about the...
November 11, 2019
The turn in the temperature signals a new season on Grandfather Mountain — and the return of a bargain allowing unlimited access to the park for six months. The Secret Season Pass allows holders unlimited,...
November 4, 2019
Today marks the last day of entries for Grandfather Mountain's 2019 Fall Color Gallery. Fall color in the Western North Carolina High Country is officially past peak, with recent high winds and heavy rain having...
November 3, 2019
The Linville River rushes past fallen leaves at Linville Falls, located at milepost 316 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. While the high winds from last Thursday blew away many leaves in the High Country, fall...
November 2, 2019
Fallen leaves decorate the shores of Price Lake, located in Julian Price Park (milepost 297) near Blowing Rock on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Although Halloween's high winds blew many leaves from their branches, high-elevation vantage...
November 1, 2019
Come the morning of Nov. 1, Grandfather Mountain saw a different type of fall color. Halloween brought tricks rather than treats, with a cold front doling out a dusting of snow, 18-degree temperatures and wind...
October 31, 2019
Gold and orange fall foliage lights up the banks along Wilson Creek, as seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation Despite this week's wind and rain, there's...
October 30, 2019
Autumn color flows through Linville Falls, as wet weather arrives in the WNC High Country. According to Dr. Howie Neufeld, Appalachian State University biology professor and official "Fall Color Guy," although the area is slightly...
October 29, 2019
Autumnal brilliance blankets a vista seen from the bridge near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Green Mountain Overlook (milepost 300.6). According to Dr. Howie Neufeld, Appalachian State University biology professor and the WNC High Country's official...
October 28, 2019
The Charlotte skyline rises on the horizon some 80 miles away as the crow flies, while fall color dominates the foreground in this view from Pilot Ridge Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway (milepost 301.8)....
October 27, 2019
Having traded its branch for a rock, a lone maple leaf holds fast, as the Elk River courses by. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation
October 26, 2019
Fall color brings autumnal brilliance to the Mill Pond in Banner Elk, near Lees-MacRae College. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation
October 25, 2019
Fall color lights up MacRae Meadows at the base of Grandfather Mountain in this photo taken Thursday, Oct. 24. Foliage is currently peaking in many locations on Grandfather Mountain, with brilliant colors even beginning to...
October 24, 2019
Fall color continues its downward trek into lower elevations, as seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway south of Beacon Heights. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation
October 23, 2019
Tuesday's sunset cast the viewscape at the Blue Ridge Parkway's Flat Rock Overlook ablaze with autumn light and fall color, which continues to spread downward from the High Country's loftier elevations. According to Dr. Howie...
October 22, 2019
Fall foliage adds a colorful contrast to the Linville River in Linville, near the base of Grandfather Mountain. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation
October 21, 2019
Typically, this Linville Falls visitor's center bridge leads to the eponymous Linville Falls. During autumn, it leads to brilliant fall foliage. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation Fall color takes on another...
