Join the Hemlock Restoration Initiative for an educational hike at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 14th at one of North Carolina’s hidden gems: Gorges State Park. This rugged park features waterfalls, sheer rock walls, many miles of trails, and a diverse collection of flora and fauna.
Our 2.8 mile (total) out and back hike will explore only a small section of the park, but includes a dense patch of hemlocks crowded around a tranquil stream before climbing to a ridge that exhibits an entirely different environment than the trail’s streamside beginnings. There are a few steep sections, but this hike is only of moderate difficulty as it follows old logging roads and has less than 500 feet of total elevation gain.
We will start out by exploring the streamside area and its many hemlocks, diving into details on hemlocks and their conservation. We will then head up the Auger Hole and Heath Pine Ridge trails.
Gorges State Park is located about 5 miles southwest of Rosman, NC and is near the NC-SC border.
The back-up weather date for this hike will be on September 21st at 10:00am.
For any questions, contact Olivia Hall at education@savehemlocksnc.org or 828-252-4783. While the hike is free to attend, your RSVP is required, and space is limited. Please sign up by Wednesday, September 10th by filling out this form. More details about meeting location and what to bring will be provided upon registration.