Topics Related to Gorges State Park

Come and Learn all about the nocturnal animals in Gorges State Park! We will be exploring the trail after dark with flashlights to look for animal eye-shine and to listen for sounds in the night. Stay at the Park Visitor Center after the hike for a small campfire and smores.

Spring is here and animals are on the move, come and help identify the wildlife around the park using only their tracks to find them! Meet in the Visitor's Center.

Come join us on a guided Spring hike to identify some of the common plants you will see at Gorges State Park.  Please be prepared for a short hike from White Pines Picnic Area. 

Join a ranger on a hike on Raymond Fisher Pond Trail to find and identify spring ephemeral wildflowers of Gorges State Park. Be prepared for a 1.6 mile hike and dress for the weather. Meet at Rainbow Falls Trailhead. 

Join a ranger to learn about one of North Carolina's newest residents: The Nine-banded Armadillo! We will discuss how the armadillo found its way to the region as well as its adaptations and characteristics. Meet at the Visitor Center Classroom.

Gorges State Park in Transylvania County will host its third annual Mountain Monarch Festival on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park’s visitor center. The festival celebrates the monarch butterfly during its migration and bring attention to the species’ declining numbers.

Due to expected impacts of Hurricane Helene, Gorges State Park and Mount Mitchell State Park will be closed Thursday and Friday, Sept. 26-27. The Mountain Monarch Festival at Gorges, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28, has been cancelled.

All North Carolina state parks west of Interstate 77 are closed through at least Oct. 31.

Crowders Mountain, Gorges, Grandfather Mountain and Lake Norman state parks, as well as Rendezvous Mountain, will reopen at least partially on Nov. 1.

Elk Knob, Lake James, New River, and Stone Mountain state parks will reopen at least partially on Nov. 15; three parks will remain closed until further notice and face long-term closures: Chimney Rock, Mount Mitchell, and South Mountains.