February 26, 2009 Issue
A Park Proliferates
Elk Knob State Park Expands Thanks To High Country Conservancy And Local Residents
High Country Conservancy Land Protection Director Eric Hiegl, pictured on right, and Program Associate Zachary Lesch-Huie stand in front of Elk Knob, the centerpiece of one of the state’s newest state parks, Elk Knob State Park. HCC added an additional 62 acres to the state park in 2008. Photo by Sam Calhoun
To the north, views of The Peak, Three-Top Mountain, Mount Jefferson, Big Knob, Roan Mountain and Hope Mountain come into commanding focus from its 5,520-foot peak. To the south, views of Grandfather Mountain, Grandmother Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Rich Mountain, Howard’s Knob and Hawk’s Bill dot the horizon, flanked by Bald Mountain to the east and Snake Mountain to the west.
For a lover of High Country vistas, it doesn’t get much better than the views available from the peak of Elk Knob, the centerpiece of one of the state’s newest state parks, Elk Knob State Park.
Established in 2003 to preserve the natural state of the second highest peak in Watauga County, Elk Knob State Park expanded its acreage in 2008 thanks to the diligent efforts of High Country Conservancy (HCC) and the willingness and foresight of the residents of the Meat Camp and Pottertown communities.
In 2008, under the leadership of Land Protection Director Eric Hiegl, HCC protected 703 acres of land in Watauga, Avery and Ashe counties through 15 separate projects. Four of those projects added a combined 62 acres to Elk Knob State Park. While not a large amount of land, the projects protected strategic in-holdings and key tracts, adding valuable access points and scenic protection, according to Hiegl.
The Hammons, Lewis, Hahn and Potter families each worked with HCC in 2008 to integrate their respective family lands into the state park. HCC secured a loan from The Conservation Trust for North Carolina to purchase the Potter property. The loan will be paid back in the first quarter of this year, according to Hiegl. The other three properties were purchased directly by the state and are under management by the state park.
“The residents of Pottertown and Meat Camp have been very helpful throughout this process, and we want to thank them for coming to the park first,” said Hiegl. “This project has been supported by the community because they want to keep this mountain as it is.”
Elk Knob State Park now comprises more than 1,800 acres in Watauga County.
High Country Conservancy Land Protection Director Eric Hiegl identifies areas of acreage that his organization hopes to protect and add to Elk Knob State Park this year. Photo by Sam Calhoun
At the beginning of the decade, Elk Knob was under threat of being developed for summer homes. Soon after, a group of concerned citizens, led by the Nature Conservancy and landowners, teamed together to purchase Elk Knob and deed it to the State of North Carolina as a nature preserve, and later a state park. Elk Knob is an amphibolite peak and is home to the headwaters of the North Fork of the New River, as well as Meat Camp Creek. Like many peaks in the High Country, Elk Knob is home to a wide variety of rare plant species.
Recreational facilities are somewhat limited at Elk Knob State Park, but Park Superintendent Larry Trivette and a dedicated group of volunteers have completed 1.5 miles of the Elk Knob Summit Trail, which will eventually span 2.3 miles. Currently, hikers can access the peak on an old logging road that begins at the same point as the Elk Knob Summit Trail. Picnic tables are now available throughout the park, but camping is not allowed.
This year, HCC has plans to potentially add 350 acres to the state park, primarily northwest of the current holdings.
For more information on Elk Knob State Park, click to www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/elkn/main.php.
For more information on HCC, click to www.highcountryconservancy.org or call 828-264-2511.
Elk Knob Volunteer Trail Workday March 14
Elk Knob State Park officials will host their first volunteer trail workday of the season on Saturday, March 14, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Officials request that volunteers bring their own water, food and work gloves (leather preferred). Each volunteer must wear cover-toed shoes, as no flip-flops or sandals will be permitted while working on the trail. Currently, officials and volunteers have built just less than 1.5 miles of the 2.3-mile trail. Elk Knob volunteer workdays will be held each Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., weather permitting, until September. For more information, call 828-297-7261.
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