
Photo by Kiko Salazar
By Emma Castleberry
A new 69-acre public park has opened in Saluda, featuring 1.8 miles of walking trails and an observation deck where visitors can enjoy a rushing waterfall. Bell Park links an expansive corridor of natural habitat, stretching from High Bridge near Lake Summit to the Green River Game Lands and offering a myriad of ecological conservation benefits. “Bell Park permanently protects a large population of rare plants and two uncommon natural communities from development,” says Kristin Cozza, trails and greenways manager for Conserving Carolina. “It also provides a protected corridor for wildlife that extends from the Game Lands to below the dam at Lake Summit. The park is located on the slopes of the Green River and its protection helps to protect water quality in the Green River.” There are plans to connect the park with the proposed Saluda Grade Trail that will run along US 176.

Bell Park observation deck. Photo by Rose Lane
From the parking area, a short walk and several flights of stairs lead to an observation deck with a bench next to the waterfall. “The biggest challenge during construction was moving the heavy lumber for the observation deck from the park entrance to the steep building site above the waterfall without the use of heavy equipment,” says Cozza. “The contractor, Knight Strategies, was very creative and rigged up a zipline to safely transport the materials to the building site and to minimize environmental impacts to sensitive vegetation and the stream.”
With funding from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund and NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, Conserving Carolina purchased the land in 2015 as a generous bargain sale from Yorke and Barbara Pharr. The Pharrs requested that the park be named in honor of local summer camp pioneers Frank and Calla Bell, who headed Camp Mondamin—one of the first summer camps in WNC—and Camp Green Cove. Both camps are still owned by the Bell family and are located near Bell Park on the shores of Lake Summit.
Conserving Carolina worked with Henderson County to develop the land into a public park, with the opening planned for October 19 to coincide with North Carolina’s first Great Trails State Day. Those plans were delayed due to Hurricane Helene. “Thankfully the damage was limited to 21 downed trees and a small landslide blocking the trail,” says Cozza. “The trails weathered the storm with minimal damage because of sustainable trail design and construction practices.” Conserving Carolina worked with trail builder Chris Shrimper Khare to clear the trees and Henderson County cleared the landslide, allowing the park to open just before Thanksgiving.
Bell Park is located in Saluda on Spartanburg Highway (176) just south of the bridge over the Green River Gorge. There is a small parking area on the north side of the road. Learn more at ConservingCarolina.org.