July 2022
Grandfather by Night
Explore Grandfather Mountain after hours with your own personal guides. Discover some of the park’s nighttime wonders, while stopping at its most significant sites, and more.
Find out more »Grandfather by Night
Explore Grandfather Mountain after hours with your own personal guides. Discover some of the park’s nighttime wonders, while stopping at its most significant sites, and more.
Find out more »August 2022
Grandfather by Night
Explore Grandfather Mountain after hours with your own guides. You’ll discover some of the nighttime wonders through the park, while stopping at its most significant sites. Watch a stunning Grandfather sunset, and experience the mountain as never before! Additional cost.
Find out more »Grandfather by Night
Explore Grandfather Mountain after hours with your own guides. You’ll discover some of the nighttime wonders through the park, while stopping at its most significant sites. Watch a stunning Grandfather sunset, and experience the mountain as never before! Additional cost.
Find out more »Grandfather Mountain Campfire Stories
This all-new event allows guests to enjoy stories around the campfire from interesting figures in the realms of science, conservation and environmental education, all while experiencing the wonder of Grandfather Mountain after dark. Additional costs. Online registration begins July 26.
Find out more »July 2022
WILD: Bears Educator Workshop
NOTE: This Educator Workshop is intended specifically for educators — not the general public. WILD: Bears will focus on black bears in North Carolina. A majority of the workshop will be spent learning about the life history and current research on black bears, as well as activities that can be incorporated into educators’ programs.
Find out more »August 2022
WILD About Elk: Educator Workshop
NOTE: This Educator Workshop is intended specifically for educators — not the general public. This workshop will teach participants about the life history and management of elk, as well as how to incorporate activities about elk into the N.C. Curriculum.
Find out more »Adult Field Course: Using Tree Rings to Observe Endangered Tree Species Through Time
Join Appalachian State University professor Dr. Saskia van de Gevel on a trip through time, using tree rings to observe endangered tree species through the decades.
Find out more »Adult Field Course – Salamanders: Why Grandfather Mountain is a Hotspot for Biodiversity
During this Adult Field Course, receive an overview of salamander diversity in the southern Appalachians with a particular focus of species at Grandfather Mountain. Due to the unique ecological zones at Grandfather Mountain, there is an amazing diversity of salamanders and is home to the type locality of two endemic species (Plethodon welleri and Desmognathus marmoratus). Participants are encouraged to bring questions regarding amphibians to discuss. Participants also take part in a salamander survey on Grandfather to understand how diversity…
Find out more »October 2022
Educator Workshop: Methods of Teaching Environmental Education
NOTE: This Educator Workshop is intended specifically for educators — not the general public. The focus of this 10-hour Methods of Teaching Environmental Education workshop is to prepare participants from a variety of educational backgrounds and experiences in both the formal and non-formal sectors to use exemplary environmental education teaching methods. Participants will learn about a variety of teaching techniques, methods and instructional strategies, and the workshop will include multiple interactive components. This is a required workshop for all N.C.…
Find out more »July 2022
Adult Field Course: Fungi in the Cloud Forest
This event is SOLD OUT. The southern Appalachians are world-renowned for different types of fungi, from mushrooms to lichens, and is home to more than 2,000 species. Here's a chance to observe many kinds of fungi at higher elevations and learn how to identify them by size, shape, and color. We'll take several short hikes and through these field explorations learn about the fungal habitats, toxicology and the important roles fungi play in the forest ecosystem. We will collect representatives…
Find out more »Grandfather Presents: Rick Ridgeway
The first speaker in our 2022 Grandfather Presents series is Rick Ridgeway. Rick is an outdoor adventurer, writer and advocate for sustainability and conservation initiatives. For 15 years, Rick was the VP of Environmental Affairs and then VP of Public Engagement at Patagonia, Inc. During his tenure he has worked with teams to develop and launch environmental and sustainability initiatives including Freedom to Roam, the Footprint Chronicles, the Responsible Economy Campaign and Worn Wear. He also was the developer of…
Find out more »August 2022
Grandfather Presents: Ginger Zee
The second speaker in our 2022 Grandfather Presents series is Ginger Zee. Ginger is the chief meteorologist and managing editor of the climate unit at ABC News. You can see her covering the nation’s weather headlines on Good Morning America and across all ABC News broadcasts and digital platforms. She also hosts an ABC News original digital series, Food Forecast, focused on climate and its impact on agriculture. Ginger has covered almost every major weather event and dozens of historic…
Find out more »June 2022
Grandfather Glows: June 29
SOLD OUT: Bioluminescent Evenings on Grandfather Mountain! Have the rare opportunity to see Synchronous Fireflies, Blue Ghost Fireflies and Glowworms, weather and conditions permitting (rain date is June 30). Grandfather Mountain is home to the Photinus carolinus, one of the few species of firefly in North America whose individuals can synchronize their lighting display, meaning they can flash in unison. Read more about them! Grandfather Glows Schedule 7:00 p.m.: MacRae Meadows (Gate 3) opens for parking. Navigate to Grandfather Mountain…
Find out more »July 2022
Grandfather Glows: July 1
SOLD OUT: Bioluminescent Evenings on Grandfather Mountain! Have the rare opportunity to see Synchronous Fireflies, Blue Ghost Fireflies and Glowworms, weather and conditions permitting (rain date is July 2). Grandfather Mountain is home to the Photinus carolinus, one of the few species of firefly in North America whose individuals can synchronize their lighting display, meaning they can flash in unison. Read more about them! Grandfather Glows Schedule 7:00 p.m.: MacRae Meadows (Gate 3) opens for parking. Navigate to Grandfather Mountain…
Find out more »