Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) will host a 5-mile hike at Pisgah National Forest, the third hike of PAC’s fall hiking series. PAC Land Protection Specialist Pam Torlina will lead hikers to John Rock. The hike is a strenuous loop with a total ascent of approximately 1,000 feet. The trailhead is accessed from the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Fish Hatchery. The highlight of this hike is John Rock, a large granite dome that offers views of the fish hatchery, Looking Glass Rock and Pilot Mountain.
The Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Fish Hatchery, operated by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), was originally the site of a logging community and then a Civilian Conservation Corps camp during the Great Depression. The theme at the Center for Wildlife Education is “Mountain Streams: Where Water and Life Begin.” The center conducts statewide environmental education programs for educators and youth leaders and offers informative exhibits that focus on wildlife conservation, geology, unique N.C. habitats, preservation of streams and wetlands, the ecology of wetlands and ways to get involved in wildlife conservation.
The center’s theme is in line with the work conducted at the fish hatchery. The NCWRC raises thousands of trout at this site annually. These trout are destined for release in Western North Carolina streams, providing recreational opportunities, as well as an important component of the food chain.
If you are interested in attending the PAC hike at Pisgah National Forest, contact the PAC office to sign up by phone at 828-859-5060 or email, at landprotection@pacolet.org.
Hikers should wear appropriate clothing and footwear; bring a bag lunch and/or snack and plenty of water. Bring any personal medication that you may require. In case of inclement weather, please contact the PAC office by 8:15 a.m. on the day of the hike to see if the hike will take place.
Hikers will meet at the Columbus Bi-Lo at 8:30 a.m. to start the approximately one-hour drive to the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Fish Hatchery.
If you cannot make this hike but would like to attend other hikes, visit PACs website at www.pacolet.org, or go to PACs Facebook page, “Pacolet Area Conservancy,” for information on upcoming hikes.
The next hike is scheduled for Nov. 2 at PAC-protected Weaverbarton Shuford Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, where Torlina will lead hikers on a fall interpretive hike.
– article submitted
by Pam Torlina