1000 x 90

G.O. (Get Outdoors) Grandfather Day, a Day of Family Fun and Learning, is August 15

 

 

By Joe Wiswell

August 15, the seventh annual G.O. (Get Outdoors) Grandfather Day will be a day of family fun and learning at Grandfather Mountain State Park. It will feature ranger-led hikes up the Profil Trail, a fisherman knot-tying workshop, and discussions about mountain stream ecology. Activities start at 10:00AM and should wrap up around 2:00PM.

This year the North Carolina State Parks interpretive theme is fish, and many of the events will include discussions of fish in the area. This will include a lesson on how to cast a fishing rod, and a demonstration by the Wildlife Commission on electrofishing–a method for documenting the fish in a stream. Ranger-led hikes will feature some discussion of stream ecosystems.

Grandfather Mountain State Park will also welcome presentations by the groups A Clean Wilson Creek, who will present on their effort to keep Wilson Creek free from litter, and the NC Arboretum’s ecoEXPLORE program, a science enrichment program for children Kindergarten through eighth grade.

G.O. Grandfather day will feature opportunities for the Junior Rangers to earn badges.

All events will begin and end at the new Profile Trail Parking Area at 4198 N.C. Highway 105 South.

The Grandfather Mountain State Park will be holding volunteer trail work days every Thursday of August, starting August 2. Grandfather Mountain is in particular need of great volunteers this year since heavy rains in late May damaged and shut down many trails. Locations will vary so be sure to RSVP on the Facebook page or by calling the office at 828-963-9522.