Grandfather Mountain State Park to Dedicate New Profile Trail Access on Friday, Aug. 11

A new access area to serve the Profile Trail at Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County will be formally dedicated Friday, Aug. 11 by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.

The 10 a.m. ceremony is open to the public and will celebrate a long-awaited new access to the popular trail located on Highway 105 in Banner Elk, N.C. Local and state elected officials will be in attendance along with community volunteers and supporters of the park who helped make the project possible.

“The Profile Trail at Grandfather Mountain State Park celebrates the natural wonders of an iconic mountain destination,” said Susi Hamilton, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “This well-appointed new access to the beloved trail will help accommodate the increasing demand for access to the park, and offer conveniences for more visitors to enjoy the beauty of our N.C. state parks.”

In addition to a 0.7-mile extension of the Profile Trail to connect with the new access, the project includes a new road, ample parking and new restroom facilities. The work represents an investment of $1.7 million from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, the principal funding source for state park capital projects and land acquisition.

The land for the new access is made up of two tracts. The access road, parking lot, restroom, and a portion of the re-routed Profile Trail is on a 32.6-acre tract purchased in 2012 with $1.1 million of funding allocated by the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. The 33.3-acre tract that adjoins the new access was donated to Grandfather Mountain State Park by The Nature Conservancy in 2015.

The project was designed by Bulla Smith Design Engineering, P.A. of Charlotte. The general contractor was Garanco, Inc. of Pilot Mountain.

Grandfather Mountain State Park was established in 2009 and encompasses 2,687 acres of Grandfather Mountain’s “backcountry.” It offers stunning views of the iconic mountain from eight trails ranging from leisurely to rugged and camping at 13 sites around the park.

About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 231,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 18 million visitors annually.

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.

 

NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.