The Preserve

aaaHarmony
Hilltop is a thirty-one acre nature preserve located directly adjacent
to the 3000+ acre Rendezvous Mountain State Educational Forest, five
miles south of the Blu Ridge Parkway in NW Wilkes county,
near Parsonsville, North Carolina. The state forest
borders Harmony Hilltop to the north and east, providing direct access
to a classic Appalachian Cove Forest habitat. The Preserve is further
enhanced and protected by over 400 acres of privately owned land to its
south and west, owned by conservation-minded friends and neighbors,
forming a large conservation cooperative.

aaaAn
intact ecosystem of this size provides for a plethora of wildlife to
survive and to thrive. It is home to wild turkey, deer, bear, bobcat,
lynx, and even the occasional mountain lion, all of which have been
observed on Harmony Hilltop or in the surrounding forest! Frequent
avian visitors include pileated woodpeckers, red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s
hawks, red-shouldered hawks, vultures, barred owls, whippoorwills,
ruby-throated hummingbirds and ruffed grouse. Obviously it is a
“Birder’s Paradise!”

aaaHarmony
Hilltop is also blessed with dark skies for the amateur astronomer.
Elevation and good viewing conditions, along with low “light
pollution,” caused Appalachian State University to site their Deep Sky
Observatory atop a nearby ridgetop. Harmony Hilltop’s own observatory
boasts a 10″ Newtonian reflector telescope on a Dobsonian mount, ideal
for deep-sky observations.

aaaGuided
nature hikes into the forest, bird-watching trips, deep-sky astronomy,
star parties, etc are all exciting possibilities!!!

The Memorial
Orchard

aaaThe
orchard at Harmony Hilltop was begun with a donation of three apple
trees by my father, Milton L. Hallman, Jr. in 2004. Upon his untimely
passing in March, 2006, friends and family donated pear trees in his
memory, one of which blooms mid-March. It became “Milt’s Pear” to all
who visit……..

aaa The
orchard has slowly evolved from there, adding cherry trees, Asian pear
trees, Oriental persimmon trees, heartnut trees, and hazelnuts. Trees
have since been planted to honor the memories of a beloved martial-arts
master, several lifelong friends, and other dearly departed. Friends
and family wishing to sponsor a tree commemorating the life of their
loved one may contact us for further information. Harmony Hilltop is
honored to be chosen the repository for so much LOVE…….