Josh Kelly

Phone (828) 617-0812
Email josh@mountaintrue.org

Events from this organizer

Today

  • **CANCELED** Craggy National Scenic Area Hike near Asheville, NC

    Big Butt Trail 59700 Blue Ridge Parkway, Black Mountain, NC

    Congressman Chuck Edwards has the opportunity to make history by creating North Carolina's first National Scenic Area, an idea which has broad local support. Come hike the Big Butt Trail with MountainTrue Biologist Josh Kelly and experience the beautiful forests, views, flora, and fauna of the Craggy Mountains.

    The hike will be 4-6 miles and will follow a gated Forest Service road for most of the length. The last portion of the hike will be on steep, uneven ground with no trail. The hike will proceed unless heavy rains or wind are in the forecast.

  • Help Memorialize the old-growth forest at Brushy Mountain near Cashiers, NC 3/22-CANCELED

    The Village Green Playground 71 US-64, Cashiers, NC

    The top of Brushy Mountain had a very old forest that MountainTrue unsuccessfully tried to protect from a logging project by Nantahala National Forest. The site was logged in the fall of 2024. We are seeking volunteers to help document the age of the trees by counting rings on cut stumps. This information will be compiled in a report that we will use to memorialize the forest and raise awareness of the value of old growth.

    Free

  • Earth Day Wildflower Walk and Garlic Mustard Pull near Hot Springs, NC 5/10 (rescheduled from May 3)

    Appalachian National Scenic Trailhead Parking Del Rio, TN, United States

    Join MountainTrue Biologist Josh Kelly for a 4-mile hike where you will learn about wildflowers, songbirds, and other sights and sounds of the Appalachian Spring. Midway through the hike, the group will stop to pull garlic mustard for two hours and help maintain the native herbaceous diversity in a very rich forest. Wildflowers will be peaking above 4,000' on this scenic section of the Appalachian Trail. Originally scheduled for May 3rd, this event has been rescheduled to May 10 due to high winds and unsafe conditions.

  • 2025 MountainTrue BioBlitz at Hickory Nut Gap Farm near Asheville, NC 6/21

    Hickory Nut Gap Farm 57 Sugar Hollow Rd, Fairview, NC

    SAVE THE DATE! Each year, MountainTrue hosts a BioBlitz to record all the species we can find in a given area. We identify and catalog organisms using the online app iNaturalist. The BioBiltz this year will be on June 21st at Hickory Nut Gap Farm near Asheville, NC.

  • MountainTrue Hemlock Hike at John Rock near Brevard, NC 7/19-CANCELED

    John Rock Loop Trailhead Fish Hatchery Ln, Brevard, NC

    Join MountainTrue and Hemlock Restoration Initiative (HRI) on a guided hike at John Rock to see hemlock trees! Learn from Josh Kelly and HRI’s Olivia Hall about hemlock conservation and the importance of these ecosystems.

    John Rock Trail Loop is a moderately difficult 5-mile hike with 1,000 feet of elevation gain. We'll be back to the trailhead by lunchtime, but please bring plenty of water and any snacks you would like along the way.

  • National Public Lands Day Panthertown Trail Workday with Friends of Panthertown near Glenville, NC 9/27

    Salt Rock Gap Trailhead Breedlove Rd., Glenville, NC, United States

    Join MountainTrue and Friends of Panthertown to celebrate National Public Lands Day. We will meet at the Salt Rock Gap Trailhead and work on the Panthertown Trail, focusing on maintaining water bars. We will be working in the stunning Panthertown Valley, one of the crown jewels of Nantahala National Forest.

  • Roadless Area Hike Series – Balsam Cone near Asheville, NC 11/23

    Folk Art Center 382 Blue Rdg Pkwy, Asheville, NC

    Originally scheduled for Nov. 22nd, this hike has been rescheduled to 11/23 due to weather. To highlight the importance of the Forest Service Roadless Rule, MountainTrue will be leading monthly hikes to roadless areas. In November, we will hike the incredibly unique and scenic Black Mountain Crest trail through the Balsam Cone Roadless Area.