• Home
  • How We Work
  • Where We Work
  • News Room
  • About Us
  • My Nature Page

The Nature Conservancy in Africa - Conservation in Africa

The Nature Conservancy in Asia Pacific - Conservation in Asia-Pacific

The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean - Conservation in the Caribbean

The Nature Conservancy in Central America - Conservation in Central America

The Nature Conservancy in North America - Conservation in North America

The Nature Conservancy in the United States - Conservation in the United States

The Nature Conservancy in South America - Conservation in South America

Green River Headwaters

Green River Headwaters Map

LOCATION:
Mountains
Polk and Henderson Counties

SIZE IN ACRES:
18,639

INVOLVEMENT IN ACRES:
5,702


Northern Dusky Salamander
Northern dusky salamander (© Scott Michael)
Bloodroot
Bloodroot (© W.S. Justice)

TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP:
Cliffield Mountain, Hendersonville, Pea Ridge

Topographical maps are available by contacting:
NC Geographical Survey.
1612 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1612.
(919) 715-9718
www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/

ACTIVITIES & AMENITIES:
Birding / Wildflowers / Canoeing-Kayaking / Hiking / Parking

OWNERSHIP & ACCESS:
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
512 North Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27611
(919) 733-7291

SITE INFORMATION:
Located in the southwestern corner of the state, the Green River Game Land is a relatively undisturbed wilderness area containing narrow gorges, steep ravines and coves, old-growth forests, and mixed hardwood forests. The Green River runs through a rugged gorge on the Blue Ridge escarpment. At its most impressive point, the river drops 400 feet in a distance of one and a half miles and runs through a six-foot wide crevice known as "the Narrows." Pulliam Creek cuts a deep ravine near the Green River, forming several small falls and slides.

The gorge is a very soggy area, full of amphibians such as the northern dusky and blackbelly salamanders, green frog, gray treefrog, and spring peeper. The area’s reptilian species include racer, ringneck, eastern garter, and black rat snakes; and box turtle. Many forest songbirds inhabit the gorge, including the scarlet tanager and cerulean and Swainson’s warblers. Rare plants in the Green River area include butternut (white walnut), long-stalked sedge, Cherokee sedge, French Broad heartleaf, and Blue Ridge bittercress. Wildflowers such as large-flowered trillium and showy skullcap can be seen here in late spring. The gorge is also home to an uncommon butterfly, the West Virginia white. Canoeing is popular on the Green River, so summer traffic is heavy on the lower sections.

CONSERVATION HIGHLIGHTS:
The Nature Conservancy purchased 5,090 acres from Duke Power Company and Crescent Timber in 1994 on behalf of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission that are now managed as the Green River Game Land. John Ball and his family are donating a series of conservation easements to The Nature Conservancy that will eventually protect 1,200 acres of the natural area upstream from the game land.

DIRECTIONS:
There are many hiking options in the Green River area. The Environmental and Conservation Organization of Henderson County (ECO) has a nice trail map and guide. Contact them at (828) 692-0385. Remember that the area is hunted, so check the hunting schedule before visiting.

Here’s one hiking option: Southeast of Hendersonville, take exit 28 off I-26 at Saluda. The Laurel Creek branch can be accessed from US 176 just east of US 25. SR 1151 parallels the river and has a few small parking areas. A foot trail leads to Bradley Falls from SR 1142. The land The Nature Conservancy acquired is the upper, narrower section of this gorge, which offers challenging hiking. You may want to bring a rope in case steep sections of the trail are washed out.