Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) continues to protect land on Three Top Mountain in Ashe County with the recent purchase of 90 acres. This property, plus an additional nearly 450 acres already owned by BRC, will eventually be added to the Three Top Mountain Game Land. The game land currently covers 3,100 acres in Ashe County. 

The remote property is entirely forested, with elevation ranging from 3,320 feet to 4,280 feet. A mature Carolina hemlock forest is located on the eastern ridge of the property and a headwater stream originates onto the property, which eventually flows into the North Fork New River. The adjacent tracts are also forested, tying into BRC’s mission of protecting ecology and habitat, and protecting and creating recreational opportunities.

“Purchasing this land has been part of a focused effort by BRC to protect large, forested tracts,” says Eric Hiegl, BRC’s Director of Land Protection and Stewardship. “Forests support biodiversity, help stabilize the climate, and provide recreational opportunities for the community. We’re excited to eventually add this acreage to the Three Top Mountain Game Land.”

Like Three Top, this property is part of the amphibolite mountain group, a mountain chain containing a calcium-rich rock rare in the southern Blue Ridge. Located in Ashe and Watauga counties, the Amphibolites also include Howards Knob, Elk Knob, Snake Mountain, Phoenix Mountain, Paddy Mountain, and Mount Jefferson.

Funding for this acquisition was provided by the generosity of Fred and Alice Stanback.