ROCKY RIVER BLUFF NATURE PRESERVE
“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
The 61-acre parcel that is now the Rocky River Bluff Nature Preserve (formerly known as Brackett Bluff) is located at 17596 River Ford Road, Davidson. It is bounded by Shearer Road and extends to the Rocky River on the east. It was targeted for preservation from the earliest days of Davidson Lands Conservancy’s formation in 2001 and was acquired by the Mecklenburg County Parks system 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 river bottom. There are also diverse plant species uncommon in the Charlotte area.
Davidson Lands Conservancy monitors the property and advises on its stewardship. Catawba Lands Conservancy generously contributed $5,000 to an endowment fund for stewardship and legal defense of the property. The Elmer Brown Endowment Fund at Davidson College, which seeks to assure area sites for student research in field biology, also granted $2,500 to Davidson Lands Conservancy for initial monitoring expenses.
For more information about the Rocky River Bluff Nature Preserve, visit the Mecklenburg County website.
