Crowders Mountain State Park
Crowders Mountain State Park
Programs for July 2009
All Programs typically last one to one and a half hours.
All Programs are appropriate for children unless otherwise stated.
Auxiliary aids require a seven day advanced notice.
Creek Walk
Sunday
July 5 3:00 PM
Join a ranger for a fun, exciting and educational opportunity to get wet.
Participants will explore a nearby creek, look for and try to identify creek
critters. Meet at the shelter #1 parking lot. Be prepared to get your hands and
feet wet. The program will be cancelled if it rains.
Lake Trail Hike Saturday July 11 2:00 PM
Join a Ranger for a hike around the 9 acre park lake, which was recently
drained for repairs. Learn the reason for the repairs, improvements made to fish
habitat, and look at what happens to a lake without water. Meet at the Lake
Parking Lot (gravel parking lot on the left). The program will be cancelled if
it rains.
Ranger on the Ridge
Sunday
July 12 2:00 PM
Meet with a Ranger at the Crowders Mountain overlook at the
top of the Backside trail. Here’s your chance to ask any questions about the
park you may have and look at the surrounding countryside through a spotting
scope. The program will be cancelled if it rains.
Biters, Stingers and Itchers
Saturday, July 18 2:00 PM
Lack of understanding has led to many misconceptions about plants and animals
that can cause us harm. Curiosity about these plants and animals is both healthy
and useful because it may prevent the harm in the first place. Learn more about
some of the venomous animals and poisonous plants in the park as well as what to
do if you come into contact with some of them. We’ll be covering
identification, contact prevention and first aid. This program would be great
for scout and youth groups. Meet at the Visitor Center auditorium.
Volunteer Trail Day
Saturday,
July 25 8:30-Noon
Meet at the Visitor Center as we continue work on improving
the Turnback trail. The workday will be cancelled if it rains.
Our permanent exhibits are here!!!!
After six years and a lot of work on the part of park staff and volunteers, the permanent exhibits have been installed in the Exhibit Hall of the Visitors Center. These exhibits provide information on four natural communities, plants and animals common to these communities, and approximate elevations within the park where the community occurs. There is an area that focuses on neo-tropical migrants, complete with their calls, that nest in Crowders Mountain State Park during the summer. Another area focuses on the natural resource management efforts of park staff and what visitors can do to both enjoy and help protect park. A final area in the exhibit hall and areas in adjacent hallways focus on local cultural history of this area and the history of how Crowders Mountain State Park was established. There’s plenty to learn and hopefully everyone will discover something different each time they visit.
Friends Group Makes Donations!
If not for the efforts of a small group of Gaston County citizens in the early 1970's everything we know as, "Crowders Mountain State Park," would not exist for your enjoyment today! This group known as, "The Gaston Conservation Society," worked very hard to get your park created and thus saved from a proposed mining operation. Although The Gaston Conservation Society no longer exists there is a group helping your park today! The "Friends of Crowders Mountain State Park" is a support group of concerned citizens working together to assist your park reach its many goals. As a non-profit organization the Friends group can raise money for the park, and provides community support. These efforts help the park reach its primary mandates of public education, promoting stewardship of natural resources, and providing the public with recreational opportunities. Most recently the Friends group has purchased a digital camera for the park. This camera has already been very helpful in getting last minute images for our upcoming permanent Museum exhibits. There is a new handicap assessable bridge on the Lake Trail, the materials purchased by the Friends group. They also purchased a cabinet for the interactive computer in the Visitor Center lobby and some materials for the Backyard Pond. Recently nine members came for a day of volunteer work helping clear ice storm damage from the Lake Trail. The list goes on and more exciting projects are planned in the future. If you are looking for a way to get involved with the park you love please consider joining the Friends group. Brochures are available in the Visitor Center lobby or see their web site: www.friendsofcrowdersmountain.org.
Return To Home Page