94 acres conserved in Panthertown Valley
One of western North Carolina’s most cherished natural areas, Panthertown is often called the ‘Yosemite of the East.’
Donated photo
Thanks to a collaboration among local conservation partners, Mainspring Conservation Trust has acquired a critical 94-acre inholding within Panthertown Valley that is now on track to be permanently protected.
One of Western North Carolina’s most cherished natural areas, Panthertown is often called the “Yosemite of the East.”
The 6,300 acres stretch along the Eastern Continental Divide, offering more than 25 miles of trails that wind through granite domes, mountain bogs, trout streams and waterfalls.
When the U.S. Forest Service acquired Panthertown Valley and the surrounding Roy Taylor Memorial Forest in the 1980s, one parcel — now known as the Slickens Creek tract — remained privately owned. Surrounded entirely by national forest, the property includes more than 2,800 feet of wild trout waters and provides critical early successional habitat for species such as Golden-winged Warblers and Ruffed Grouse. The tract also lies within the Blue Ridge Parkway viewshed and links two popular trails: the Rattlesnake Knob and Turkey Knob trails.
The Slickens Creek acquisition builds on other conservation projects with the land trust and Panthertown. In 2017, Mainspring purchased a 15.9-acre tract at the Salt Rock Gap trailhead — transforming a pinch point into a welcoming public entrance before transferring it to the Forest Service.
