Nature & Outdoors

Home page: Eastern hellbender, courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Above: Matt Drury (sawing) from ATC and a Carolina Mountain Club volunteer work to clear Helene damage on the Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs, NC., photo by Rocko Smucker; Pink Azalea, photo by Skip Sickler, courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

A Season of New Beginnings

By Karen Rieley

Spring in the High Country is special every year—almost overnight, it seems, bare trees sprout leaves, buds appear on bushes, and buzzing bees and butterflies enjoy emerging flowers. The air is cool and refreshing without the bite of cold endured for the past few months. Birds appear and make cheerful music. Hibernating animals awake and venture out to forage for food. Mothers give birth, and their babies grow strong and independent quickly.

This spring is particularly poignant and critical. The High Country welcomes visitors and residents alike to experience a true rebirth this year. Perhaps more than other years, we can all appreciate the stubbornness of nature to survive, even in the face of devastation. In spite of all that Hurricane Helene has damaged, spring weather will encourage new growth and rebirth, and the return of visitors to the High Country. Events, attractions and businesses, especially small, local entrepreneurs, are eager for visitors to help rejuvenate the local economy by enjoying all that the area has to offer.

“We are ready and need for people to return to the High Country,” noted John Caveny, director of conservation and education for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “There are misconceptions about what is closed or inaccessible.”

Most attractions and venues in the High Country are open, although some may have limited hours or specific closures depending on the attraction. While main roads are generally clear, some secondary roads might still be under repair. Call the particular venue or park directly to make sure of its condition and limitations, if any.

Restoring the High Country’s Ecosystems

While flora and fauna have suffered from Hurricane Helene, there will still be many opportunities to see the season’s wildflowers, such as trillium, spring beauty, trout lily, pinxter flower, fire pink, and bluets, as they emerge in different stages along varying elevations. The earliest bloomers and budding trees appear in the High Country by mid-April to early May, first in the lower elevations like Mountain City, Tennessee, at 2,418 feet, and then in higher ones, like those in North Carolina—Boone at 3,333 feet, Blowing Rock at 3,560 feet and Beech Mountain at 5,506 feet above sea level.

By mid-May, many of the early flower-bearers will have already bloomed, dispersed seeds, and fallen dormant until the next year. North Carolina’s state flower, the dogwood, can also be found blooming in early May just as the leaves are starting to grow on many trees. Beautiful pink-shell azaleas, flame azaleas and Carolina rhododendrons also usually begin to bloom in May. 

“The flower response in those places not covered in debris [from Helene] should be unchanged,” said Curtis Smalling, Audubon North Carolina’s executive director. “In areas with a lot of storm damage to trees, the flush of growth may be more dense than usual as seed bank plants that have been waiting for sunshine germinate. This is the response we fear from non-native invasives as well.”

Many individuals and organizations are hard at work trying to reclaim and restore the High Country’s ecosystem. Ben Graham, engagement director of Audubon North Carolina, reported in a February article that Audubon chapters in the mountains have been focused on recovery efforts. They have seen years of investments in native plantings and other habitat work washed away. At Valle Crucis Community Park and other stream-side parks around Boone, High Country Audubon has planted hundreds, maybe thousands of native shrubs, grasses and trees over the years, most of which were buried or washed out. Since the storm, the chapter has returned, replanting hundreds of native shrubs and plants between Valle Crucis and Green Valley Park in Todd, NC. But there is still more work to do.

“With the forest canopy opening in some areas that experienced extremely intense blowdown, you have more sunlight hitting the ground now, which will favor a different suite of plants, which will, in turn, favor a different suite of animals,” explained Gary Peeples, deputy field office supervisor for the Asheville Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “These blow-down areas are also now full of deadwood, which brings with it forest fire concerns.”

Aquatic habitats are highly sensitive to changes in the number of particles in the water and aquatic organisms are therefore likely to suffer long-term effects from Hurricane Helene. The most noticeable destruction to date has been to the critical habitat of the eastern hellbender—a rare salamander and the largest amphibian in North America.

Many species of bats roost in bridges, including federally endangered gray bats, and may not have survived the storm. Birds like the Blackburnian Warbler and the Scarlet Tanager depend on tree canopies, and the loss of mature trees due to the storm and subsequent invasive plant growth may threaten their nesting sites.

How to be a Responsible Visitor

Many resources exist to help you make your plans to enjoy all that the High Country has to offer. The key is being a responsible and caring visitor who can contribute to the area’s economic and ecological rebirth. Planning ahead and preparing for an outdoor excursion are important anytime and especially this spring as rehabilitation and recovery efforts continue.

“I recommend people search for areas they want to explore then check in with the land management agency responsible for the site, be it North Carolina State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, or National Park Service to get the latest information on access,” Peeples said.

Matt Drury, the associate director of science and stewardship for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, advises, “Respect closure orders and stay on the trail. The forest has changed. With 180,000 acres of forest canopy lost because of the hurricane, there will continue to be overhead challenges. Look up. When it is windy, walk out of the forest, because trees are still crashing down. Be aware that access roads for search and rescue crews may be gated and covered up, so they may not be able to rescue you.”     

Volunteer Vacations – Make a Difference When You Visit the High Country

You can enjoy the High Country while helping to restore the area at the same time. Chambers of Commerce, tourism development authorities (TDAs), and visitor centers are good sources of information about volunteer opportunities available in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey, and Mitchell counties in NC; Carter and Hawkins counties in TN; and Grayson and Washington counties in VA.

Mountain True (mountaintrue.org) and Watauga Riverkeeper coordinate volunteer activities, including river cleanups to remove trash and debris along the banks of rivers that were left behind by Hurricane Helene, invasive plant workdays, water quality samplings and live staking workdays. Since January 2025, volunteers have planted over 2,000 native stakes along the edge of the Watauga and New rivers, helping to support native biodiversity and stream bank restoration.

Defenders of Wildlife and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission report that public information regarding hellbender sightings is enormously helpful. If you find a hellbender, leave it alone, but take a photo and note the location. Then, email [email protected] with the information. If you catch one while fishing, carefully remove the hook if it’s safe to do so without hurting the animal, or cut the line as close to the hook as possible. Then, return the hellbender to the water and report the sighting.

The Season of Hope

The resurgence of life is pulsing throughout the High Country. New growth, new beginnings and the promise of a brighter future surround visitors and residents alike. It is almost impossible not to feel hopeful, believing that in the midst of challenges and dark times, the future will be better than today, and optimism, motivation and strategy will prevail. Come refresh your soul while helping the High Country rejuvenate as well.

The Blue Ridge Parkway has many opportunities to find flowers along the roadsides, hiking trails and overlooks. Grandfather Mountain and Beech Mountain have optimal conditions for bird watching, as does the Boone Greenway in the town of Boone. High Country Audubon Chapter (highcountryaudubon.org) offers bird walks, watches and field trips, providing a safe and informative way to experience the area’s flora and fauna.

Plan ahead for your visit to the High Country! These organizations, among others, provide current information about travel, road closures, alerts and warnings.

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