The Hanging Valley of Long Hope Creek, N C

“http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/northcarolina/press/press799.html

From this link:

'Elk Knob, one of the crown jewels of the New River Headwaters, stands at the southern end of Long Hope Valley overlooking one of the most ecologically significant sites in the southern Appalachian region. At an elevation of 5,520 feet, this mile-high mountain is one of a dozen amphibolite peaks in Ashe and Watauga counties that ring the six-mile hanging valley of Long Hope Creek.'

Elk Knob is at the head of Long Hope Creek Valley, the valley actually being more like a western mesa, about 2 miles wide and 8 miles long. The NC Clean Water Manage ment Fund has now funded the acquisition of the waterfalls area where the creek drops off the mesa at the lower end of the valley and is working on the acquisition of the very large tract comprising the majority of the mesa in the center of the valley.

This is one of the most unigue landscapes in the southern mountains and has not been publically accessible but I have walked thru a few times. Grouse, sphagnum, cranberry and fen bogs and speckled trout in abundance of which I only looked at.

Could ultimately be a 12,000 or so acre state park.
last edited: 6/18/05 8:06:14 AM”

“While attending a talk by a speaker from the NC Natural Heritage Program back in 1988, I ask him about Long Hope Valley.

His hesitant reply was something like:

"Well, Long Hope Valley is a well kept private secret property which should not be discussed but that small valley in his opinion contains more rare species than the entire Great Smoky Mountains National Park."
last edited: 6/18/05 8:17:28 AM”

“I read something about that when it was purchased. What is access like? Also, how many acres is in the protected purchase?”

“1,100 acres. Not a bad purchase. Says it's connected to other protected acreage. Very nice.”

“I just checked the current GIS for Ashe and Watauga Counties and can report adjoining the Elk Knob (state natural area) to the NE is the Richardson Trust listed at 4336 acres and then adjoining further NE is the Bald Mountain Trust at 1590 acres and to the NE of that at the Long Hope Falls is the Long Hope Inc. property at 1578 acres.

The Clean Water Management Trust Fund approved the purchase of the 'The Fishing Club Tract' in 2004 which I think is Long Hope, Inc. and deferred action on one of the other 2 big properties, I am not sure which one but I think there are efforts underwqay to acquire all these tracts and some adjoining ones to link up some other already owned NC state and Nature Conservancy tracts like Tater Hill, Paddy Mountain, Bluff Mountain, Threetop Mountain and Mount Jefferson and Rich Mountain and Snake Mountain are in there and held in large private tracts (the Rich Mountain tract is leased for Wildlife Commission Gamelands).

and the hiking potential there is comparable to the Roan Highlands or Mount Rogers, with spruce-fir forest, and in fact I have felt for years an alternate route to get from the At at Hump Mountain to the AT just south of Mount Rogers thru there would be at an average much higher elevation than the Tennessee location.

I doubt trails have been developed to Elk Knob on state land yet but the state property does reach Meatcamp public road at one location just north of Pottertown Gap.

The historic parking area and trailhead to Elk Knob is now occupied by a large house.
last edited: 6/19/05 8:09:06 PM”

“Spruce-fir woodlands in Long Hope Valley are located along the creek bottoms instead of the mountaintops and ridges which is a very rare forest type in the Southern Apps.
last edited: 6/20/05 8:31:19 AM”

“It has come to my attention that Long Hope Valley is forested with wild red spruce, not necassarily fir like is found at the hanging valley of Upper Alarka creek in Swain County, NC.

Hanging valley is not where those convicted were taken to be hanged but rather to a valley situated much higher in elevation than the surrounding valleys.”

“Access to the fishing club land is limited to members only with an armed guard patroling the property. The stream has a lot of trout because the club stocks and feeds on their portion of the creek. From the falls and above, it is mostly brook trout waters with very few large fish.”

“Nature Conservancy - Acq/ Trout Club Tract, Long Hope Creek
2004B-027
11/15/2004
$2,967,000
Non-profit
Ashe
New

The money has been approved but the transaction appears to not have occurred yet.”

“Lonesurveyor,
Can you give me a site reference. I'd like to read more about the acquisition.”

“here is one site ref but its not overly informative : http://www.cwmtf.net/2005aboardprojects.htm”

“lonesurveyor,
Did you sneak through or get permission from a land owner when you hiked around Long Hope Creek? I went in more or less incognito, but would prefer to ask first next time in case I run into the supposed armed patrol.”

“My first trip thru there was a sneak thru about 23 years ago.

There are a number of properties in the valley and on some occasions I have been allowed by one of the owners to walk around with permission.

Since there is some interest on this board regarding Long Hope Valley, let me say, it is unigue and I hope the state acquires as much there as possible and maintains it as a state Natural Area, instead of a state park to minimize development and traffic. That resource including the fish might best be left undisturbed as a natural laboratory.”

“there is a trail to the top of elk knob, a wide one, perhaps old jeep trail. it is occasionally signed with wooden sign arrows. exxcellent summit views. i didn't find anything historic about the parking area at potterstown gap. there is a house several hundred yards away, but a gravel road leading up to the unmarked trailhead, a sign at the begining of the road that claims it is a state park.

long hope falls is on the backside of "The Peak", one of the funnest mountains I have climbed. It's mostly a bushwjack to the ridgeline and summit after some logging roads. Old Benchmark the size of a quarter. I think it's private land, but not sure. A lot like Grandfather Mountain as far as exposed rocky, cliffy ridgeline. Good views of Grandfather, Snake (also fun to climb), Three Top Mountain, Bluff Mountain, and Elk Knob.

A massive meteorite was found just 2 miles east on Bald Mountain back in the day.”

“Many of the locals feel:

That the high flat meadows of Long Hope Valley

would make 'the finest kind of golf course development'.

It hasn't happened yet and maybe will be avoided thru conservancy actions.”

“I emailed a few people at NCDPR about Long Hope and got 1 informative response:
---------

Peter,

The Division of Parks and Recreation is working on Elk Knob State
Natural Area which is centered on Elk Knob. The acquisition plan for
this site does include Long Hope Valley, the ridgeline to the northwest,
The Peak area and the ridge lines above Long Hope Creek near Three Top
Mountain Gamelands.

As far as time lines go -- we are working with willing sellers and have
no set time limit on when the acquisitions will take place. As far as
specifically with the property in Long Hope Valley, we do not currently
have an acquisition project in the works. TNC has acquired a
conservation easement along parts of Long Hope Creek on the northern end
and the state will soon own the ridgeline to the northwest.

Sue Regier, Head
Land Protection Program
NC Division of Parks and Recreation
-----------”

“Nuts. That place sounds very cool.”

“Thats Great!!”

“On October 21, 2005, a group of conservation partners announced the protection of 1,150 acres along Long Hope Creek, including more than 1.7 miles of creek frontage. The acquisition also protects the summit of The Peak—the highest mountain in Ashe County at 5,180 feet.

Scientists, sportsmen and hiking enthusiasts speak with awe of The Peak and Long Hope Creek. The creek flows into the New River, one of the oldest rivers in the world, while the bordering hardwood forests, rock outcrops and seepage springs harbor important ecological communities.

“The New River Headwaters region has tremendous biological diversity. The Peak and Long Hope Creek are critical components of the landscape,” says Katherine Skinner, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy’s North Carolina Chapter. “We’re saving one of the vital jewels in the southern Appalachians and a priceless part of our natural heritage.”

Two contiguous tracts of land will be protected. The larger, at 585 acres, will be transferred to the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation to become part of Elk Knob State Natural Area, which has as its core property 1,238 acres at Elk Knob just north of Boone. The second tract (566 acres) will be protected through a conservation easement held by the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and managed by The Nature Conservancy.

Full link:
http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/northcarolina/preserves/art16455.html
last edited: 10/23/05 7:50:54 PM”

“Most unigue, curious and intriguing terrain in the SE Apps?

Well, at an environmental conference I attended several years ago, a speaker who represented the state Natural Heritage agency declared:

"'Long Hope Valley'", (though small, similar to but only about 1/10th as large as the Canaan Plateau of WV although many hundreds of feet higher in average elevation than Canaan) "likely contains more rare flora and fauna than the entire Great Smoky Mountains National Park."

It is an island much removed from like areas much farther north.
last edited: 10/24/05 6:33:00 AM”

“What a marvelous hike it will be trudging from the top of Elk Knob all the way to The Peak without the fear of getting scolded or shot ;-)”

“I'm interested in Long Hope Falls, is it in the Nature Conservancy’s land? and is it accessible to the public? Does anyone know who to ask permission from for access?

I'm from Ashe and have been to many, many waterfalls in NC and TN. Its great to hear about one in my backyard that might be accessible now. Thanks for any info.”

“i've also been wondering about this. i think it's still on private land, but is in the works to soon be joined with the NC track from Elk Knob to The Peak. I plan on checking it out sometime within the next year. If it's on private land, I'm sure asking permission will be sufficient to let you hike to it. If that doesn't work, I'll just go in stealth. It's only about a mile from the road I think and it looks like there's a jeep track leading there on the topo.


Have you climbed The Peak?”

“A quick check of Ashe County GIS does not find the new state land out of Long Hope, Inc. yet plotted.

My understanding is that about 1/3 of Long Hope, Inc.'s 1500 acres was acquired outright by the state, about 1/3 was placed under a new conservation easement and a prior conservation easement affected part of the 1500 acres, may have already closed?.

In any case land acquired from Long Hope, Inc. might include the Peak and the falls, I do not yet know

but it will not be contiguous with the Elk Knob Natural Area being seperated by at least a couple miles of Bald Mountain trust property.

Stay tuned.
last edited: 11/16/05 7:24:14 AM”

“all interested in this thread might find interest in nearby Ashe County trip:

http://www.thebackpacker.com/trips/trip/1215.php”