Last Resort at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary
Expanding Protection on the Rocky Fork Gorge
19 acres - Highlands County, Ohio
Entire Preserve Project Cost: $485,609
Current balance yet to raise: $384,147
The Highlands Nature Sanctuary in Highland County, Ohio is the Arc of Appalachia’s oldest and largest nature preserve. Since 1995, we have pieced together the now 3,000 acre preserve, with 77 individual acquisitions occurring to date. The Arc now has the opportunity to acquire a critical piece of the Sanctuary puzzle - the 19 acre tract adjacent to the beloved Barrett’s Rim Trail, affectionately known as the “Last Resort.” Acquiring this tract would protect the property’s beautiful woods, permanently safeguard the spring wildflowers that carpet its slopes, and preserve the breathtaking views along the Barrett Rim trail.
Last Resort’s Natural & Cultural History
Barrett’s Rim, alternatively known as the Jewel of the Gorge, has a trail so stunning in the springtime that it leaves hikers breathless. As the trail winds toward the Rocky Fork Creek, it descends below a sheer, nearly unbroken palisade wall. Between the rock wall and Rocky Fork Creek is one of the most splendid and prolific spring wildflower displays east of the Mississippi: columbines and anemones on the vertical canyon walls, shooting stars at the base of the cliffs, and snow trilliums, trout lilies, blue cohosh, and large-flowered trilliums on the slopes.
It was the gorge’s outstanding beauty that attracted the Carpenter family to the area in the early 1980s. The couple and their two adult sons, Bob and Norris, constructed their family home on a deeply forested parcel bordering a scenic portion of the Rocky Fork Gorge. Norris and Bob spent the next four decades on the property, tending the land and protecting the trees. They expanded their property twice: once by buying additional creek frontage adjacent to the house, and later by buying the next property down called Last Resort, a gathering place where the owners and their friends liked to socialize and fish. Norris later invested $40,000 in the site’s cleanup, returning it to the natural area it is today. But the catchy name, Last Resort, stuck, and it now refers to the entirety of the Carpenters’ holdings.
In 1995, Norris and Bob witnessed the founding of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary with curiosity and approval. They were delighted to welcome fellow nature lovers into the valley, and they became cherished volunteers. As the Sanctuary grew and grew, the Carpenter property eventually became surrounded by Sanctuary on both sides. Immediately to the property’s south lies the popular Barrett’s Rim trail. When hikers leave the trailhead and descend into the gorge, all of the scenery downstream - the mature woods and the comely stream - is Last Resort
In early 2026, both Bob and Norris were in their eighties. Norris had already moved on to Arizona, and only Bob remained in the quiet homestead, nurturing a lifetime of memories. That summer, Bob reached a new place of clarity. He knew it was time to let go, move into town, and simplify his life. It was time to turn over the property to like-minded people who would appreciate, love, and protect the land’s legacy. The best choice, in his mind, was the Arc of Appalachia.
Last Resort is now one of the Arc of Appalachia’s top priority land campaigns for 2026-2027. We are deeply honored to have this opportunity to accept the stewardship torch handed to us by Bob and Norris for this magnificent property.