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World's Edge

Upper Pool Creek Falls at World's Edge
Upper Pool Creek Falls at World's Edge 
© Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy

Location: 
Rutherford County

Size in Acres:
1,568 acres

Involvement in Acres:
1,568

Topographical Map:
Topographical maps are available by contacting:
NC Geographical Survey.
1612 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1612.
(919) 715-9718
www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/

Ownership & Access:
The World's Edge property has been transferred to the NC Division of Parks and Recreation and will be included in their plan for a State Park. At this time, there is no public access to World's Edge.

Site Information:
World’s Edge contains a mile-long set of steep slopes on the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, with more than 20,000 feet of streams and waterfalls. From an overlook point, the land falls away to provide a stunning view of the Piedmont. The area provides habitat for rare flowers, diverse forest communities, endangered bats and salamanders, unique cave-dwelling invertebrates, and birds such as peregrine falcons and migratory neotropical species. However, this habitat is threatened by the 
combined pressures of development and rapidly increasing land use.

Conservation Highlights:
With the recent addition of World's Edge, the Nature Conservancy now protects over 3,000 acres of land in the Hickory Nut Gorge. World's Edge lies in the Hickory Nut Gorge, which as been a conservation priority for The Nature Conservancy for over 20 years. In 2005, the World's Edge property, formerly owned by The Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation, became available on short notice and the Conservancy worked closely with a number of partners to guarantee the protection of this land. The effort was jointly led by The Nature Conservancy and by the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, and critical financial assistance came from the Open Space Institute and Self-Help Ventures. The local conservation partners have also joined forces with the North Carolina Department of Parks and Recreation to establish a new state park in Hickory Nut Gorge. The creation of a state park would not only provide a place for public recreation and increased tourism, but also ensure the protection of these beautifully scenic and biologically diverse lands.  

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