Grandfather Mountain and Wilson Creek

Grandfather Mountain soars to almost 6,000 feet and is criss-crossed with an extensive trail network. Over 60 rare plants and animals occupy their various niches on the mountain. It also shelters one of six known populations of a tiny tarantula, the spruce-fir moss spider. Migratory bird species abound, and the mountain’s seeps and springs provide habitat for 16 species of salamanders. Wilson Creek, a beloved whitewater creek and Wild and Scenic River, flows for 23 miles from Grandfather Mountain to its junction with the Johns River. Thousands of acres of old-growth remain on Grandfather, which is considered to be one of the premier natural areas in the entire Southern Appalachian region.