High Country Office
MountainTrue's High Country Office is located in Boone, serving communities in the Watauga, New, and Elk river watersheds. VolunteerAbout the High Country Office
164 Depot Street
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 278-9821
The High Country Office partners with and protects communities in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Burke, Watauga, and Wilkes counties through the following programs, events, and initiatives:
- Watauga Riverkeeper
- Water monitoring programs
- Riverkeeper Float Fest
- Muddy Water Watch and reducing sediment pollution in the Watauga River Watershed
- Sustainable land use
- Sustainable transportation alternatives — improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and better public transportation
High Country Team



Volunteer with us!
We have many regular volunteer opportunities throughout the warmer months. Below are some of the ways you can get involved. Click the images to add your name to our volunteer roster. Please note that volunteer event dates and times are subject to change due to weather conditions with short notice. Follow the Watauga Riverkeeper Instagram and Watauga Riverkeeper Facebook Page or email hannah@mountaintrue.org to receive the most up-to-date information on event changes/cancellations.
High Country News
Take Action To Protect The Clean Water Act From Polluters
MountainTrue’s Clean Water Team works hard to monitor and improve the quality of water in the region, but the so-called “Navigable Waters Protection Rule” would create a huge challenge for our daily work. Will you call on your Representatives to say no to this rule?
Protect Our Rivers By Supporting Sustainable Farms
We have compiled a map of farms in our region that feed us while using practices that support healthy rivers, lakes and streams. Check out the map to find sustainable farms in your local watershed, and sign the pledge to support sustainable farms here.
Protect the Waters of Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest
The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests are the headwaters of seven major river systems, providing drinking water for millions of people in four southeastern states and wildlife habitat for a bewildering array of native species. Unfortunately, the current draft plan is inadequate in a few very important ways when it comes to water quality protections and we need you to speak up. The deadline for public comments is June 29 and this is our last significant chance to have our say. Please submit your comment today!
Introducing Topic-Specific Info Sessions on the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Management Plan
MountainTrue will kick off our series of topic-specific info session on the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest Management Plan on Tuesday, April 28 with a deep dive into water quality issues in the draft plan.
Celebrate 50 Years of Earth Day with MountainTrue
As social creatures, we need to maintain our connections and find new ways to lean on each other during hard times. As creatures of nature, we need to connect with our forests, our rivers and the plants and animals we share this planet with. Today more than ever, we appreciate how important clean water and healthy forests are to our mountain communities.
News About MountainTrue’s Work In the Coming Weeks — And Our COVID-19 Activity Guide
As our mountain communities brace for the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, MountainTrue is doing our part to help reduce the spread of the virus, and mitigate the health risks to our communities and our staff. As of Monday, March 16, our four offices in Asheville, Boone, Hendersonville and Murphy are closed to the public. Our staff will still be working hard to protect the places we share, but many of us will be doing so from home or out in the field where we’ll be following recommended protocols. Following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and public health officials, we are also canceling all of our public events, hikes and training sessions for this spring, and our volunteer-based water monitoring programs, river cleanups and public lands workdays will be on hiatus until further notice.