GRAHAM, N.C.– The North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund has awarded Alamance County a $470,000 grant for the development of the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area. The grant will fund the construction of an observation tower, trailhead, natural surface hiking trails, and camping facilities at the park.
The Cane Creek Mountains are located 8 miles south of the City of Graham and comprise the largest State Natural Heritage Area and largest area of undisturbed woodland in Alamance County. The mountain range is also home to the highest peak in North Carolina east of Greensboro at 987 feet. The property contains four miles of streams and supports Piedmont Monadnock Forest, Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forests, as well as low elevation seeps. The area contains plants and animals found nowhere else in Alamance County.
Upon completion, the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area will total over 1,000 acres. The observation tower will offer unparalleled views of this exceptional mountain range. No other parks in our area approach the size and scope of the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area.
The Cane Creek Mountain Natural Area is a partnership between The Conservation Fund, Piedmont Land Conservancy, and Alamance Parks. Additional funding support has been received from Clean Water Management Trust Fund, North Carolina Recreational Trails Program and private donors.
The first hiking trails of the park are expected to open in 2020.
