After all, the base rock that pokes through to form cliffs and crags is over a billion years old, part of a mountain range that predates the Alps and the Himalayas. Biologically speaking, the mountain is actually an island. With the retreat of the ice cap, northern species clung to its higher elevations while southern species of plants and animals regarded the neighborhood as a kind of northern boundary. The mountain has eleven natural communities that are home to 42 rare or endangered species, including 11 that are globally imperiled. For these and other reasons, portions of the backcountry are sheltered within a Nature Conservancy trust and Grandfather Mountain has been singled out as an International Biosphere Reserve.
Hikers can access trails only by paying user fees.
Enjoy every moment you're here. On A Whole Different Level Near the top of the mountain, you can walk across the Mile-High Swinging Bridge, an especially nice place to view more than a dozen of the region's major peaks. Located more than a mile above sea level, it was built in 1952 to span an eighty foot deep ravine. You can also stop for lunch at the Nature Museum , where you can walk through exhibits and view films about the mountain's birds and plants, weather, rocks and minerals, geologic past, and more recent times. If you pay admission and drive up from the gate, please park at the Black Rock Parking Area, a quarter mile from the summit, and use the Bridge Trail to access the Grandfather Trailhead.