The effort to Save Howard Knob has garnered unprecedented local and regional support. Thanks to all the community members who mobilized quickly to make this effort a success!
BRC and Mast General Store celebrate the acquisition of the Howard Knob property
Rob Holton and his wife Beverly provided a matching gift for the project. He is shown posing here with BRC’s Eric and David, and the special edition “Howie” bear.
Leadership Donors
Blue Ridge Conservancy’s acquisition of the Howard Knob property was made possible by a lead gift from Fred and Alice Stanback.
Additional leadership gifts of $10,000 and above were provided by:
Richard and Debbie Swartzel
Rob & Beverly Holton - Holton Mountain Rentals
Mast General Store
Myles Standish and Shelley Crisp
Bill and Judy Watson Arts Fund
Bryant and Nancy Hanley Foundation
Frontline Conservation Real Estate
Laura and Jon Wilson
Holly and Hal Levinson Family Fund
McLendon Family Foundation
LifeStore Bank and Insurance
Blue Ridge Energy
Two Anonymous Donors
In addition to Leadership Gifts from the above, over 100 individuals from North Carolina’s High Country and beyond made contributions of varying sizes, making the protection of this iconic land a truly community effort.
Eric H. speaks to members of Center 45 climbing gym at an event in December 2025
Michelle Leonard addresses the climbing community at SouthEnd Br
The High Country Climbing Community
“Save Howard’s Knob” was the rallying cry of the rock climbing community in 1990s, and those efforts led to the formation of BRC. With the opportunity to buy the property and reopen the boulders to the public, engaging climbers was an important part of the plan to raise the needed funds. BRC’s friends at SouthEnd Brewing in Boone hosted an event in October to introduce the event and give updates, and Center 45 hosted an event for its membership in December. BRC was also co-beneficiary of the 10th annual "Night at the Climbing Museum" event at Black Dome Mountain Sports in Asheville.
Local Support
Other local businesses got in on the effort as well - SouthEnd Brewing in Boone canned a special-edition “Howard Knob Golden Ale” and made it available to local restaurants and stores. Lost Province Brewing Co. brewed a limited-edition “Whooshie IPA,” a nod to the NASA wind turbine atop Howard Knob in the late 1970s.