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You’re Invited to G.O. (Get Outdoors) Grandfather Day on August 15 at Grandfather Mountain

By Hailey Blevins

This year will be the 7th annual G.O. (Get Outdoors) Grandfather Day at Grandfather Mountain State Park. The event will be filled with fun learning opportunities for families. Events will begin at the Profile Trail Parking Area.

Each year, a theme is adopted for G.O. Grandfather Day, and this year the theme is fish. Learning opportunities will include ranger led hikes, a fisherman knot-tying workshop, discussions of mountain stream ecology, a lesson on how to cast a fishing rod and a demonstration on electrofishing by the Wildlife Commission.

Be sure to see the presentations from the different groups attending as well. Groups who Grandfather Mountain State Park has welcomed include A Clean Wilson Creek, who will be presenting about their efforts to keep Wilson Creek litter free, and the NC Arboretum’s ecoEXPLORE program. The ecoEXPLORE program will be looking to recruit children ages 5-12 to help scientists study wildlife.

Opportunities will be available during G.O. Grandfather Day for you to earn your Junior Rangers Badge by participating in the Junior Ranger table.

Be sure to wear appropriate clothing for the weather and for hiking. Hiking boots are highly recommended. The event welcomes leashed pets, but they will not be allowed on the guided hikes.

In preparation for this event and in an effort to keep Grandfather Mountain State Park’s trails in good shape, the park will be holding volunteer trail work days each Thursday this month. Due to heavy rainfall earlier this year, many trails were damaged and shut down. Information on volunteer days and locations can be found on their Facebook or by calling 828-963-9522.