Daily Programs
August 2021
Grandfather by Night
Explore the park after-hours with your own naturalist guide. You’ll be escorted through the park, while stopping at its most significant sites. Watch the sunset in silence and experience Grandfather Mountain as never before! This program may include a short walk. Please bring a flashlight. Limited to 10 participants. Registration costs $40 for general admission and $20 for Bridge Club members. Bridge Club members must present a valid Bridge Club ID with their event ticket/receipt upon check-in, or they will be charged full price. To…
Find out more »Educator Workshop – WILD About Elk
Participants will learn about the life history and management of elk, as well as how to incorporate activities about elk into the NC Curriculum. All participants will receive a WILD About Elk guide. CEU and EEC Criteria II and III credits are available upon completion of workshop. Homework option available to earn up to 10 hours or 1.0 CEU. About Our Environmental Educator Certification Programs Join the staff of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission…
Find out more »Grandfather Presents: David Sibley
On Thursday, Aug. 12, Grandfather Mountain will host one of the world’s preeminent ornithologists, David Allen Sibley, as part of its Grandfather Presents speaker series. Sibley is the author and illustrator of a series of nature guides, including The New York Times best seller, “The Sibley Guide to Birds,” and his most recent book, “What It’s Like to be a Bird,” which was released in April 2020 to wide acclaim. On “What It’s Like to be a Bird,” NPR writes,…
Find out more »Grandfather by Night
Explore the park after-hours with your own naturalist guide. You’ll be escorted through the park, while stopping at its most significant sites. Watch the sunset in silence and experience Grandfather Mountain as never before! This program may include a short walk. Please bring a flashlight. Limited to 10 participants. Registration costs $40 for general admission and $20 for Bridge Club members. Bridge Club members must present a valid Bridge Club ID with their event ticket/receipt upon check-in, or they will be charged full price. To…
Find out more »Grandfather Mountain Photography Weekend
Take your photography skills to the next level — 5,280 feet above sea level, to be exact — at the Grandfather Mountain Photography Weekend, taking place Aug. 14-15. Additional cost. Registration required.
Find out more »Grandfather by Night
Explore the park after-hours with your own naturalist guide. You’ll be escorted through the park, while stopping at its most significant sites. Watch the sunset in silence and experience Grandfather Mountain as never before! This program may include a short walk. Please bring a flashlight. Limited to 10 participants. Registration costs $40 for general admission and $20 for Bridge Club members. Bridge Club members must present a valid Bridge Club ID with their event ticket/receipt upon check-in, or they will be charged full price. To…
Find out more »Grandfather by Night
Explore the park after-hours with your own naturalist guide. You’ll be escorted through the park, while stopping at its most significant sites. Watch the sunset in silence and experience Grandfather Mountain as never before! This program may include a short walk. Please bring a flashlight. Limited to 10 participants. Registration costs $40 for general admission and $20 for Bridge Club members. Bridge Club members must present a valid Bridge Club ID with their event ticket/receipt upon check-in, or they will be charged full price. To…
Find out more »September 2021
HawkWatch
All throughout September, guests are invited to join the mountain’s naturalists as they count and celebrate the annual spectacle of the fall raptor migration. Participants can meet daily across the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Linville Peak, weather permitting.
Find out more »51st Annual Girl Scout Day
Girl Scouts are invited to join the park’s education staff for a fun-filled learning adventure on Grandfather Mountain. Participants can enjoy special scout activities and presentations. Plus, all Girl Scouts and troop leaders are admitted free with proof of membership, and family members will receive discounted admission. Reservations are required by calling 828-733-2013.
Find out more »Creatures of the Night & Bonfire Delight
As night falls on Grandfather Mountain, guests can enjoy rare after-dark tours, fireside tales and a chance to meet the park’s nocturnal residents. This program may include 1 to 3 miles of moderate activity. The participant limit for each workshop is 25 individuals. Cost is $50 per person (or $10 for members of Grandfather Mountain’s Bridge Club program), with registration required in advance. Upon registration, you will be sent detailed information on course meeting location and expectations.
Find out more »October 2021
The Fall Color Ramble
From Oct. 2-10, guests can enjoy 20-minute guided walks that highlight Grandfather Mountain’s fall colors.
Find out more »Growing Up WILD
Growing Up WILD is an early childhood program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and their habitats. While the workshop is primarily oriented toward educators that work with children ages 3-7, many of the activities in the guide can be adapted to a wider age range. All participants will receive the Growing Up WILD activity guide and earn six hours of Criteria I credit toward their N.C. Environmental Education Certification (or 0.6…
Find out more »Late Summer Sketching
The naturalist’s sketchbook is full of drawings and observations of the outdoors that bring moments in nature to life! The way you arrange these drawings on a page, as well as the notes you take, can boost the storytelling quality of your sketches. Participants will learn how to tell a story through the arrangement of objects in a sketchbook, as well as basic observation and drawing techniques with pen, pencil, and colored pencils. Though designed for beginners, students with more…
Find out more »Grandfather’s Starry Skies
October is one of the best times of year to be stargazing at Grandfather Mountain. The air is cool and clear, and the summer constellations are still very prominent, with some early winter sights making their appearance later in the evening. Our class is also during the time of the Orionid meteor shower, so hopefully some of these celestial fireworks will grace our skies during our nighttime observing. Our goal for this class is to create a familiarity with the…
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