Carolina Chickadee Walk

Location: Shope’s Creek

This is not just your average bird walk! Each event will be led by an experienced guide from the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter, who will help you spot and identify local birds, share fascinating insights into their habits, and teach you all about the birds that call our valley home. But that’s not all – as we explore the great outdoors, a local historian from the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center will share captivating stories, historical tidbits, and insights into the rich cultural heritage of the area.

Valley History Explorer Hike #2: Montreat (Hydroelectric Tour)
This hike focuses on the history of Montreat, which was founded in 1897 by Rev. John Collins. The remnants of the Montreat hydroelectric facilities that were constructed in 1913 and in use until 1947 are visible on this moderate, 2.5-mile hike.

Difficulty: Moderate 2.5 miles

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

**at Christmount (222 Fern Way, Black Mountain, NC 28711)**

On the 160th anniversary of Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Union forces , Steven Nash will address how the main issues of the Civil War period played out in western North Carolina. Addressing issues like the myth of a solidly Unionist Appalachia and the idea that slavery didn’t exist in the mountains, Nash will discuss what led western North Carolinians into a war that would transform their society. Using diaries, letters, and a variety of government documents, Dr. Nash’s talk will show how the Civil War and Reconstruction impacted the people of western North Carolina.

Song Sparrow Walk

Location: Black Mountain Golf Course

This is not just your average bird walk! Each event will be led by an experienced guide from the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter, who will help you spot and identify local birds, share fascinating insights into their habits, and teach you all about the birds that call our valley home. But that’s not all – as we explore the great outdoors, a local historian from the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center will share captivating stories, historical tidbits, and insights into the rich cultural heritage of the area.

April 12

Rim Hike #4: Montreat East Ridge (CLICK HERE TO REGISTER)
This difficult, 6-mile segment traverses the crest of the Blue Ridge (Continental Divide) along the eastern boundary of Montreat. Montreat was founded by Rev. John C. Collins in 1897 as a place “for physical and spiritual renewal,” and was named by combining the words “mountain” and “retreat.” The hike will include the peaks of Rocky Head, Brushy Mountain, and Boggs Bunion and will descend  to the historic Swannanoa Gap at Ridgecrest. On the way we will see remnants of the old Mt. Mitchell Railroad and Scenic Auto Road.

Difficulty: Difficult, 5.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,971 feet

In 1924, developer E.W. Grove had his hands full with two major projects: the construction of Battery Park Hotel and the more ambitious undertaking of Grovemont-on-Swannanoa, the country’s first planned community. Explore the neighborhood and learn about the unique history of this community. Take a walk with us and see how it was planned, developed, and visit some of the exteriors of the original houses that still exist today.

Eastern Bluebird Walk

Location: Swannanoa Creek

This is not just your average bird walk! Each event will be led by an experienced guide from the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter, who will help you spot and identify local birds, share fascinating insights into their habits, and teach you all about the birds that call our valley home. But that’s not all – as we explore the great outdoors, a local historian from the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center will share captivating stories, historical tidbits, and insights into the rich cultural heritage of the area.

Join The Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center Haunted History walking tours in downtown Black Mountain’s historic district. Traveling some of Black Mountain’s most storied streets, visitors will learn about the humorous, haunting and harrowing history of the Swannanoa Valley while being visited by some of its most famous spirits. This event, which is a fundraiser for the museum, will highlight local tragedies and triumphs- and the many ghosts, friendly and frustrated, born from these events.

Red-winged Blackbird Walk

Location: Fortune Fields

This is not just your average bird walk! Each event will be led by an experienced guide from the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter, who will help you spot and identify local birds, share fascinating insights into their habits, and teach you all about the birds that call our valley home. But that’s not all – as we explore the great outdoors, a local historian from the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center will share captivating stories, historical tidbits, and insights into the rich cultural heritage of the area.

When local historian Birdie Barker Price finds a stolen ballot box from an old election on her front porch, she opens a Pandora’s Box spilling secrets to Coweetsee County’s troubled history of vote-buying, child brides, drownings, church arson, wrongful arrests and guilty passions. 
    “Living back of beyond, we don’t consider ourselves a backwards people, but as keepers of a lost kingdom.” Murder ballads, long sung by local women, document the heartbreak that runs through the generations, of women wronged by vengeful men.
The intertwined stories of Birdie and other natives and newcomers to Coweetsee depict a rural community wrestling with a vanishing culture and an uncertain future. A tale set in Appalachia holds resonance for myriad places in contemporary America.