ROCKY RIVER BLUFF NATURE PRESERVE CONSERVATION EASEMENT 

“I have always thought this was a special place. It’s just beautiful. You would expect to see this in the mountains, but not right here in the Piedmont.” – property owner Mary Brackett

Rocky River Bluff Nature Preserve covers 61 acres located along Shearer Road and along the Rocky River.  It was targeted for preservation from the earliest days of Davidson Lands Conservancy’s formation in 2001 and was acquired by Mecklenburg County in October, 2002, at the urging of Davidson Lands Conservancy, the Town of Davidson, and Catawba Lands Conservancy. 

The property is a regionally significant natural heritage site, featuring a mature hardwood forest on a steep bluff that arcs along the Rocky River.  The land cover includes diverse plant species, several uncommon in the Charlotte area. The Nature Preserve includes extensive frontage along the Rocky River and is rich with wildlife and conservation values. 

The Nature Preserve is owned by Mecklenburg County while DLC holds the conservation easement. DLC partners with Mecklenburg County to steward and manage the Nature Preserve.  The Elmer Brown Endowment Fund at Davidson College contributed to the transaction. 

For more information about the Rocky River Bluff Nature Preserve, visit the Mecklenburg County website.