As spring arrives in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, welcomes guests to book unique behind-the-scenes experiences starting April 4.
Experiences at Grandfather Mountain take guests behind-the-scenes with the park’s naturalists and habitat staff, providing expert insight into flora and fauna. These are purchased in addition to admission tickets, and reservations are recommended due to limited space. The 2026 season for these opportunities is Saturday, April 4 – Sunday, Nov. 1.
“Our staff works very hard to ensure experiences are fun and memorable for everyone involved, and we can’t wait to welcome guests back to share these special moments with them,” said Christie Tipton, animal habitats curator for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “Especially for plant and animal lovers, the knowledge gained in a behind-the-scenes experience can elevate a visit to the mountain to the next level.”
The experiences offered in 2026 are listed below:
Meet-the-Bears Tours
Weekends | 11 a.m. | April – October | 2 – 12 participants
Go behind the scenes in a Meet-the-Bears Tour to get to know some of Grandfather Mountain’s resident black bears and learn all about them, including their names, daily routines, care, histories and more.
Participants should wear shoes with good soles such as hiking boots or tennis shoes, as the walk does include some steep terrain. Those with limited mobility should inquire about availability when booking the tour. A UTV is available to transport guests with mobility issues if lined up in advance. Guests will still need to be able to walk over grass and gravel for about 20-30 feet. There are no stairs and the ground is either flat or gently sloped.
This tour costs $20 per person in addition to park admission, including children, or $18 for Bridge Club members.
Learn more at www.grandfather.com/experiences/meet-the-bears.
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Weekends | 12:30 and 1:15 p.m. | April – October | 2 – 8 participants
See where the cougars and otters sleep overnight, meet black bears and elk, learn the ins and outs of what it takes to care for each species year-round and find out why the animals call Grandfather Mountain home.
Participants should wear shoes with good soles such as hiking boots or tennis shoes, as the walk does include some steep terrain.
This tour costs $35 per person in addition to park admission, or $31 for Bridge Club members.
Read more at www.grandfather.com/experiences/animal-habitats-vip-tours.
Paint With a Bear
Weekends | 11:30 a.m. | April – October | 2 – 4 participants
The chance to make life-long memories by watching one of the park’s resident bears create a painting has returned in 2026. On this tour, one of the park’s guides will escort participants to a behind-the-scenes area where bears often interact with their keepers and introduce the bear to the group.
Then, the group will select an assortment of nontoxic paint colors for the guide to spray on the ground along with sheets of paper inside the bear’s area. From a safe distance behind a fence, the group can watch the bear move about and paint to create one-of-a-kind art pieces. After the bear is finished painting, each participant selects the painting they like the best to take home.
Participants should wear shoes with good soles such as hiking boots or tennis shoes, as the walk does include some steep terrain. Those with limited mobility should inquire about availability when booking the tour. A UTV is available to transport guests with mobility issues if lined up in advance. Guests will still need to be able to walk over grass and gravel for about 20-30 feet. There are no stairs and the ground is either flat or gently sloped.
This experience costs $50 per person in addition to park admission, including children, or $42 for Bridge Club members.
Learn more at www.grandfather.com/paint-with-bear.
Keeper for a Day
Tuesdays | 8 a.m. | April – October | Maximum of 2 participants
Spend a morning in a Keeper’s shoes. Learn how to care for the animals, clean up and prepare food, as well as observing animal behavior and the inner workings of the wildlife habitats at Grandfather Mountain — including training and providing enrichments.
Keeper for a Day includes a painting session with one of the habitat animals. Participants will select an assortment of paint colors. The habitat guide will spray non-toxic paint on the ground along with sheets of paper inside the animal holding area for the animal to walk and paint on for a few minutes to create one-of-a-kind artworks. After the animal is finished painting, each participant selects the painting they like the best to take home.
Keepers for a Day must be 12 years of age or older, be capable of walking up and down steep, rough terrain and sign a waiver of liability. This hands-on experience will get clothes dirty. Participants should wear closed-toe hiking or work boots and no loose jewelry. Coats, jackets, gloves and hats are recommended for cooler weather, and sunscreen is recommended year-round.
This experience costs $120 per participant, or $86 each for Bridge Club members. Admission to the park is included. Keeper for a Day must be booked at least one week in advance.
Learn more at www.grandfather.com/experiences/keeper-for-a-day.
In keeping with the environmental wildlife habitat area policy, pets are not allowed. Experiences will be canceled in the event of thunder or lightning, with the exception of Keeper for a Day.
To book habitats experiences in advance, guests can contact the habitats office at 828-733-8715 or habitats@grandfather.com. It is also an option to purchase an experience in person at the Wilson Center gift shop, but reserving slots in advance is always recommended to guarantee there is space.
Experiences can also be given as gifts by contacting the Wilson Center gift shop at 828-733-1059 to purchase over the phone. The gift recipient will be responsible for contacting the park’s habitat staff and scheduling their tour. With the exception of Keeper for a Day, a gift of a tour or experience does not include park admission. That would need to be purchased separately or covered by a Bridge Club membership.
Explore all of the mountain’s experiences at www.grandfather.com/experiences.
Dollar Days
April marks the beginning of Grandfather Mountain’s Dollar Days promotion, where High Country residents, employees, college students and their guests can purchase tickets online for only $5 each — a great time for locals to add an experience to their visit.
The promotion allows anyone who lives, works or is a student in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke (added in 2025), Caldwell, Mitchell, Watauga, Yancey (added this year) or Wilkes counties — along with their guests traveling in the same vehicle — to visit at the discounted rate (per person).
To learn more about the Dollar Days promotion, visit www.grandfather.com/dollar-days-2026.
Blue Ridge Parkway Access
Guests wanting to plan a visit to the High Country that includes the Blue Ridge Parkway should check that park’s website in advance, as closures along the parkway are slated to begin in mid-March of 2026.
Access to Grandfather Mountain via the Parkway will remain open from at least one direction thanks to the careful planning of the National Park Service staff. Access to important Grandfather Mountain State Park trailheads will remain open from at least one direction after an initial full closure at Boone Fork Parking Area (Milepost 299.9) that is expected to last for three to four weeks in early spring.
Guests traveling to Grandfather Mountain via the west side of the mountain (N.C. Hwy 105) and via U.S. 221 will not be impacted by the roadwork on the parkway.
Read more about these closures at www.grandfather.com/blue-ridge-parkway-access-updates.
The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world through education, exploration and example. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.
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Captions:
GMSF_Paint With a Bear_Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation: As spring arrives in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Grandfather Mountain is welcoming guests to book its unique behind-the-scenes experiences starting April 4. An experience returning in 2026, Paint With a Bear, allows guests to leave with a unique piece of art created by the park’s resident bears. (Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation)
GMSF_Meet the Bears_Carolina_Photo by Leslie Restivo_Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation: Most experiences at Grandfather Mountain are purchased in addition to admission tickets, and advance reservations are recommended since space is limited. The 2026 season for these opportunities is Saturday, April 4 – Sunday, Nov. 1. One of these experiences is “Meet-the-Bears,” where guests go behind the scenes for in-depth insight on our resident bears. (Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation / Leslie Restivo)