As motorists take the curve on N.C. 151, heading up the mountain from Asheville toward the Blue Ridge Parkway, they should notice a large stone lovingly placed there 95 years ago to commemorate the area’s history. But they probably won’t. Eagle Scout hopeful Levi Smith is looking to change this by giving both the monument and the adjacent Stony Fork picnic area a much-needed facelift.
Although he lives nearby and drives by the site on N.C. 151 regularly, it wasn’t until a recent hike with Boy Scout Troop 58 that the 17-year-old knew the historical significance of the road leading up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. A fellow Boy Scout found and pointed out an old plaque attached to a rock hidden behind poison ivy and vines, practically inaccessible to passersby.
The monument, dedicated in October 1920, memorializes the 1914 sale of more than 83,000 acres of land to the United States from the Vanderbilt estate to create the Pisgah National Forest and honors George W. Vanderbilt for his contribution and commitment to forestry.
On a recent Saturday, Levi and four scout friends took up shovels, rakes and posthole diggers to begin improving the picnic area and monument site. “This place looked pretty scary,” he said of the picnic area, which has mostly been taken over by moss, and is occasionally thought to be abandoned. “I think it would look a lot better if someone put a little care into it.”
Levi has dedicated his Eagle Scout project, which must benefit the community, to the accessibility of the site, which gets little more than weed management attention.
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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It’s wonderful that these scouts have taken an interest in the area’s history, and brought much needed attention to an event that shaped the entire mountain landscape.