As part of “Mountains-to-Sea in a Day” — a state-wide event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail — SAHC will lead a guided hike to our protected Snowball Mountain property in the Craggy Mountains, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Join us for this moderate 3-mile hike along a high elevation ridge line with remarkable views. We will start out hiking a section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and then split off to climb Snowball Mountain. Next, we will continue north to Hawkbill Rock, where we will look back onto the property and into the Woodfin Watershed — another SAHC-protected landmark. Hikers should be prepared for a short trip, but steep elevation changes along the way. Come enjoy this beautiful property and learn about our conservation projects in this spectacular area of the Black Mountains!
Don’t miss this special opportunity to collaborate with hundreds of others across North Carolina to hike and paddle the entire 1,175 miles of the MST in one day.
MST in a Day commemorates a speech on September 9, 1977 by Howard Lee, then the NC Secretary of Natural Resources and Community Development. He told a National Trails Symposium in Waynesville that North Carolina should create a “state trail from the mountains to the coast, leading through communities as well as natural areas.”
That speech was the catalyst for the trail that now stretches through 36 counties from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks, and we’re celebrating its 40th anniversary all across the state.
Registration for this hike is now full. Contact cheryl@appalachian.org if you would like to be added to the waiting list, or if your plans have changed and you can no longer join us. Thank you!
The summits of the Craggy and Black Mountains cap the horizon of Reems Creek Valley just outside Weaverville, NC. It is a stunning backdrop that epitomizes what we love about the southern Appalachians. An important side ridge off the crest of the Craggies was recently for sale and could have been purchased for development, which would have detracted from Pisgah National Forest and conserved land just west of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Fortunately, this beautiful 229-acre tract is now an SAHC-owned nature preserve. Wildlife will continue to roam the mountainside, and headwater streams of Reems Creek will flow pristine while people enjoy the beautiful forested views for many years to come. Read more
