“For Love of Beer & Mountains” Thunderstruck Hike
Date: Saturday, November 11
Time: Starting at 10:00 am
Where: Near Waterrock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Difficulty: Moderately Strenuous (7)
Cost: FREE for all participants, but pre-registration is required
Join us for a moderately difficult hike to enjoy views of Thunderstruck Ridge, for which Highland Brewing Company’s seasonal Thunderstruck Coffee Porter is named.
Participants will hike 5 miles over rugged terrain, through red spruce and fraser firs, red oak forest, and other high elevation trees while occasionally stopping at rock outcroppings for views of Thunderstruck Ridge to the west.
We will hike through the 1,595-acre Plott Balsam Preserve, protected by The Nature Conservancy, and eventually reach Blackrock Mountain, which SAHC protected in 2013. The Blackrock summit reaches an impressive 5,600 ft elevation, and our conservation of the mountain protects over 1,700 feet of pristine stream corridors. This beautiful section of mountains can be seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Dogs: Well-behaved dogs are welcome, but must be kept on a leash.
Leader: Emily Adler, AmeriCorps Conservation Education & Volunteer Outreach Associate. For questions or more info, contact Emily at emily@appalachian.org or 828.253.0095 ext 205.
Hike difficulty ratings are based on this formula: (0.002 x elevation gain (ft.)) + round trip distance (mi.) = difficulty rating (1 – 10+)
This hike is offered as part of our “For Love of Beer & Mountains” Partnership. Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, NC partners with SAHC to support our conservation efforts and heighten awareness of the rare and threatened natural treasures of the Southern Appalachians. We are grateful for their support!
