Couple donates 535 acres to Great Smoky Mountains in park's largest gift

A high-altitude property first bought as a private family retreat in the mid-1960s now serves as an important centre for environmental research in North America. The 535-acre property in Haywood County, North Carolina, historically known as "The Purchase", was officially transferred to the National Park Service around the turn of the millennium. Former owners Kathryn McNeil and Voit Gilmore donated the land, which became part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was the largest single private land gift to the park since its establishment in 1934. Located along the Cataloochee Divide, the property sits on a high ridge next to the existing national park boundary. Its main landmark is Purchase Knob, a 5,086-foot peak offering wide views of the surrounding mountains.McNeil and Gilmore bought the property in 1964 and built a summer home on the mountain ridge.