FIND Outdoors is a Transylvania County-based nonprofit with more than 50 years of service connecting people with the natural world. Stewards of the historic Cradle of Forestry in America, FIND Outdoors provides outdoor recreation opportunities rooted in forest education and environmental stewardship — from youth programs and community lectures to field trips, guided events, and free community gathering space at their NEST facility in Pisgah Forest. In 2025 alone, FIND Outdoors directly served nearly 7,000 individuals through educational programming.
Despite being surrounded by some of the most spectacular public lands in the eastern United States, many Transylvania County residents face real barriers to enjoying them — whether due to the cost of equipment, lack of familiarity, or uncertainty about where to start. FIND Outdoors is working to change that.
Lake Toxaway Charities is proud to support FIND Outdoors’ launch of the Transylvania County Gear Library — a new community initiative that will allow residents to borrow bikes, camping gear, fishing equipment, and more, free of the barrier of ownership. Modeled after a traditional library, the program will operate out of the FIND NEST, with equipment education provided at pickup. Grant funding will support a part-time staff position to manage rentals, gear maintenance, and community outreach — helping ensure that every Transylvania County resident has the opportunity to experience the trails, waters, and forests right in their own backyard.