Thanks to a collaboration among local conservation partners, Mainspring Conservation Trust has acquired a critical 94-acre inholding within Panthertown Valley, and is now on track to be permanently protected.
One of western North Carolina’s most cherished natural areas, Panthertown is often called the “Yosemite of the East.” The 6,300 acres stretch along the Eastern Continental Divide, offering more than 25 miles of trails that wind through granite domes, mountain bogs, trout streams, and waterfalls.
When the U.S. Forest Service acquired Panthertown Valley and the surrounding Roy Taylor Memorial Forest in the 1980s, one parcel—now known as the Slickens Creek tract—remained privately owned. Surrounded entirely by national forest, the property includes more than 2,800 feet of wild trout waters and provides critical early successional habitat for species such as Golden-winged Warblers and Ruffed Grouse. The tract also lies within the Blue Ridge Parkway viewshed and links two popular trails: the Rattlesnake Knob and Turkey Knob trails.
Conserving this inholding has been a shared goal of Mainspring, Friends of Panthertown, Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, and the U.S. Forest Service for decades. The opportunity finally arrived when the longtime owners’ heirs prepared to sell. Thanks to support from a private donor and Atira Conservation, Mainspring was able to move quickly to secure the land before it could be lost to private development.
“Protecting the Slickens Creek property is about more than conserving acreage—it’s about completing the vision for Panthertown Valley,” said Sophie Vaszquez, Land Conservation Associate at Mainspring Conservation Trust. “This project connects trails, protects rare habitats, and ensures that this wild landscape will remain unspoiled for generations to come.”
Generous donors to the partnering organizations, including the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, have helped us raise $100,000 of the $150,000 needed to remove unsafe structures, create a new trail connection to the Panthertown network, and support the long-term stewardship of the site’s sensitive habitats. If you’d like to help with the remaining $50,000 needed, visit here and apply your donation to “Panthertown Land Purchase” in the drop-down menu.
The Slickens Creek acquisition builds on other conservation projects with the land trust and Panthertown. In 2017, Mainspring purchased a 15.9-acre tract at the Salt Rock Gap trailhead—transforming a pinch point into a welcoming public entrance before transferring it to the Forest Service.
As the final unconserved piece of this significant landscape, this latest Mainspring project links ecological protection with recreation and beauty. It’s the culmination of decades of persistence and partnership, and a great example that when preparation meets opportunity, this region wins.
Click here to support this conservation project.
