The state of North Carolina will be purchasing Grandfather Mountain and 2,600 acres of surrounding wilderness in the Linville area for $12 million. For years, Hugh Morton and family have managed Grandfather Mountain as a private nature park. It has earned international recognition as a United Nations World Biosphere Reserve, and it attracts a quarter-million visitors each year. After Morton passed away in 2006, his family decided to sell the mountain to the state to ensure the land is forever protected.
The land ultimately will become a state park. Currently admission to the park is $14 for adults. All admission fees will continue to go directly back into protecting the mountain. For more information, visit grandfather.com.
