The former farmland contains rolling open and forested areas with views of the surrounding mountains. It will provide access to the game lands from the Madison County side — previously, the property was accessible only from the Buncombe County side.

The land had been owned and farmed by George Donald “Don” Snelson, a retired director of Buncombe County Parks & Recreation who deeply enjoyed spending time outdoors and raising cattle on the farm. When he passed away in 2019, his daughters inherited the land and sought a way to conserve it, honoring their heritage and his legacy.

“This land had been in our family for several generations as a farm, and we didn’t want to see it developed,” said former landowner Donna McMahon. “We spent time on it all the way up until we sold it to NCWRC.”

Snelson had raised cattle on it since 2000, when he inherited the land from his father. His children kept caring for the cattle for a while after his death but eventually decided it wasn’t practical for them to continue. SAHC provided the NCWRC with a matching contribution that allowed it to secure grants from the N.C. Land and Water Fund and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Restoration Program.

Although people can use old farm and logging roads to access various parts of the game lands, developed trail systems are intentionally left out, encouraging disbursed recreation that has less impact on wildlife and natural resources.

The Sandy Mush Game Lands consist of 2,765 acres. SAHC led as a partner in securing the original 2,655-acre parcel in 2004 and has been part of multiple efforts to expand the game lands since then.