Here’s the Charlotte Observer exclusive.
North Carolina is buying the nearly 6,000-foot Grandfather Mountain peak and about 2,600 surrounding acres of wilderness, preserving an iconic natural treasure enjoyed by generations.
The $12 million deal also gives the state a conservation easement on the 600-acre park area, popular with visitors for its Mile High Swinging Bridge, nature museum and animal habitat that includes the mountain’s beloved bears. The deal, to be announced Monday, is intended to protect the land and its abundant wildlife and vegetation from development.
That was a lifelong mission of the late Hugh Morton, who inherited the mountain in 1952 and transformed the state’s distinctive peak into a leading tourist attraction while preserving its wild beauty.