When: November 11, 2026 @ 10:00 am
Stroll with the Naturalist along the Hooper Bald trail!
Join Mainspring on this Veterans Day naturalist walk along the 1 mile round trip Hooper Bald trail off of the Cherohala Skyway! We will talk all about the cool special lichens that live there as well as the high elevation species of trees. We will also talk about the different habitats this trail passes through as well as how our native insects, birds, and other creatures use it throughout the year. We will also get chatty and talk about Mainspring as well as any nature-related question you might have! Come with questions and ready to chat! We can answer any nature questions you might have as well as guide you to the best resources. We can also talk about Mainspring and the work we’ve done recently to help conserve the region’s farms and forests. This walk is a generalist naturalist walk and we welcome everyone–including experts, newbies, and everything in bewteen.
We will meet at the Hooper Bald parking lot ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/FjGg1UZmysSGi6d87 ) in Graham County west of Robbinsville just before 10am on Wednesday November 11th. Please plan to arrive a few minutes early to park and get settled. Our walk will be aprox 1.5 miles round trip. The trail is generally wide, flat, with gravel/hard dirt with the occasional root and gentle sloping. The bald itself is a grassy trail.
We recommend dressing for the weather and an easy walk. We will never be more than 20 minutes from the trail head. We also suggest bringing water and a snack and an extra layer along with any magnifying glasses, cameras, or binoculars you’d like!
We have binoculars to lend.
Meet your Guide
As Mainspring’s Conservation Outreach Associate, Alina Martin lives in Murphy and spends most of her free time birding and lichenizing around Cherokee and Clay counties. She is grateful to be able to use her excitement and passion about every living thing to encourage the protection and appreciation of habitable land for ourselves as well as all things great and small that share our home here in the Southern Blue Ridge. Her wildlife management classes in addition heavy experience birding (her first love) near and far gained her strong foundational knowledge in birds, reptiles, amphibians, lichens, and plants. She dabbles in mushrooms and fish, and she knows some moss people. Don’t ask her about geology or astronomy. Armed with her identification knowledge in an incredibly biodiverse eco-region, Alina leads a variety of educational programs here at Mainspring, and finds something curious and new each time. She is a life-long bird nerd, all-around naturalist, and avid user of eBird and iNaturalist.
