MOUNT MITCHELL – Big changes are coming to North Carolina’s oldest, most iconic – and arguably most challenging — state park.

Mount Mitchell is home to the highest mountain peak in the Eastern United States, its namesake jutting 6,684 feet into the sky. Things can be tough at this elevation on people, environment and buildings, where the climate is more similar to Canada than the Southern Appalachians.

As Kevin Bischof, 37, becomes the fourth superintendent of the park in the past seven years, he’ll be overseeing some much-needed infrastructure improvements on buildings that have been battered by the most severe weather in North Carolina since they were built nearly 70 years ago.

Bischof took over helm of Mount Mitchell last week, succeeding Robert McGraw, who left after about a year to serve as superintendent at Gorges State Park earlier this year.

A superintendent is the chief of operations and administration with responsibilities for staffing, training, law enforcement, visitor services, natural resource protection, community outreach and environmental education.

One extreme to another

Bischof has worked as a North Carolina State Parks ranger for the past 11 years, most recently at Lake James State Park, where summer temperatures can climb into the 90s, with a relentless, shade-less sun.

Mount Mitchell, just an hour’s drive away, couldn’t be more different. The mountain has already seen a trace snow shower in October, and is typically the snowiest place in the state each winter. Last year, 120 inches of snow fell at the park.

According to the National Weather Service, dating back to 1980, when daily record-keeping started, the park has clocked a record amount of snowfall – 50 inches – March 12-14, 1993 – and a record low of 34 below zero on Jan. 21, 1985. It is also known for hurricane-force winds.

“I like snow,” said Bischof, a native of Cincinnati. He has worked at parks in the Piedmont and on the coast, but said he has always had his eye on Mount Mitchell.

“The mountains of Western North Carolina are the spot my wife and I love so much. Living and working up here has its challenges and that’s another reason I was interested in coming here. It’s a tough job,” he said.

“From Asheville to Mount Mitchell there’s a tremendous amount of weather difference. It’s windier, it’s colder, there’s a lot more snow, and instances of a lot more rain in warmer. Those kinds of things have been intriguing to me.”

A year-round park

Bischof, who has worked at Mount Mitchell during staffing shortages, said he’ll get straight to work figuring out to help people enjoy the park year-round. Because the park’s only access is by the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is often closed in winter due to snowy and icy road surfaces, most people only visit the park May-November, he said.

Last year the park had 398,000 visitors.

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While some park staff live at the park to keep it running even when there are mountains of snow, the average person can’t get in or out.

“We’re going to figure out a way to do some education programs and remain relevant. We can bridge that gap for schools who aren’t able to take field trips, even when the parkway is open. We’re exploring options such as podcasts,” he said.

Improvements coming to Mount Mitchell

He also plans to launch a travelers’ information station. It will be a radio station available once leaving the parkway and heading up NC 128, the 4-mile road to the summit, with information on park history, geology, wildlife and other tidbits that a visitor would get at the park’s museum or at a ranger program, both of which cease operation at the end of October until May.

Another project will be to tackle renovation of buildings at the summit, including the concession building and the restrooms, which have had problems for many years, including “exhaust issues that have added a smell,” and access issues.

Mount Mitchell was the first state park, established in 1916. Current buildings, including the concession stand, gift shop and museum, bathrooms and restaurant, were built in the 1950s.

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Using $600,000 of funding from the Connect NC Bond passed by voters in 2016, which includes money for state colleges and $75 million for park expansion and improvements, the current restrooms, only accessible by precarious stairs, will be removed and new, handicap accessible bathrooms installed.

Katie Hall, N.C. State Parks spokeswoman, said construction is set to begin in August and completed by the summer of 2020.

The restaurant, now closed for the season, will also get upgrades, including new windows.

Bischof said unfortunately the harsh conditions on the mountain will only allow for construction during nice weather – the same time as high visitation.

Also in the coming year he is expecting the park to take ownership of some 2,700 acres of land purchased by The Conservation Fund in 2016. The Raleigh-based land trust purchased 783 acres in the Laurel Branch Area and 1,961 acres in the Cattail Peak area, including Cattail Peak — formerly the highest privately owned peak in the Eastern U.S. The fund plans to convey the land to the state.

The new parcel will more than double the current size Mount Mitchell State Park.

Bischof reminds people that the park is open every day except Christmas Day, and when it’s closed for weather. The summit is accessible by a short, but steep walking path from the parking lot. If available, rangers will drive people who can’t make the walk, up to the very top.

“People love Mount Mitchell. It was the beginning of the state park crusade, it’s beautiful, it’s unique, it has one of the best places to view the sunset, it smells like Christmas trees. It’s usually 20-30 degrees cooler, even in the summer, people get out of their cars in their in flip flops and get a surprise. It gets all your senses going,” Bischof said.

“Some of my most memorable conversations with people took place at the summit at sunset.”

NC State Park upgrades

WNC state parks will see improvements from the NC Connect Bond, including:

Chimney Rock: Improvements to Rumbling Bald access. Construction expected to be completed in spring 2019. Cost: $1.5 million.

Gorges: New campground construction expected to be completed by summer of 2020. Cost: $2.5 million.

Lake James: New visitor center construction expected to be completed by spring 2020. Cost: $3 million.

Mount Mitchell: Summit renovations completed by summer 2020. Cost: $600,000.