Friends of Panthertown is a nonprofit organization working in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to conserve Panthertown Valley and enable sustainable recreation across its 6,311 acres and 30 miles of trails. The valley — accessible to Transylvania County residents primarily through the Cold Mountain Gap entrance in Lake Toxaway — draws more than 70,000 visitors annually, offering hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, anglers, rock climbers, and families access to waterfalls, granite domes, and rare high-elevation ecosystems found nowhere else in the region.
Beyond trail stewardship, Friends of Panthertown runs a robust youth education program that brings Transylvania County students into the valley as an outdoor classroom. In 2025 alone, the organization hosted 14 outdoor education programs engaging 53 youth and 41 adults directly, while 65 volunteers contributed to 13 trail work days at the Lake Toxaway entrance. Staff and volunteers collectively logged 1,712 hours across 26 trail work days — a total in-kind contribution of more than $59,000 toward Panthertown’s upkeep. Partners in this work include the Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Muddy Sneakers, FIND Outdoors, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Transylvania County Public Schools.
Lake Toxaway Charities is proud to support Friends of Panthertown’s ongoing youth engagement program, which connects Transylvania County students to their public lands through stream surveying, Leave No Trace education, orienteering, and interpretive naturalist programming.
Volunteers Needed: Please contact Kara McMullen
