Bischof new super at Mt. Mitchell State Park

Kevin Bischof has been named superintendent of Mount Mitchell State Park in Western North Carolina, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.

Bischof, a veteran ranger, succeeds Robert McGraw, who transferred to serve as superintendent at Gorges State Park earlier this year.

A native of Cincinnati, Kevin graduated from University of Cincinnati before completing a master’s degree at Indiana University in outdoor recreation with a focus in environmental education. He has worked for the division of parks and recreation as a ranger at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area and Goose Creek, Gorges and Lake James state parks. He also served as acting superintendent while at Goose Creek. He has served on the division’s honor guard and is a certified environmental educator.  

In North Carolina parks, the superintendent is the chief of operations and administration at a state park or state recreation area with wide-ranging responsibilities for staffing, training, law enforcement, visitor services, natural resource protection, community outreach and environmental education.

“Kevin’s exemplary work as a ranger across the state and experience in the mountain region will be very valuable as he takes on this new role in our first state park,” said Dwayne Patterson, the state parks director. “As the park doubles in size with new land acquisitions in the coming years, Kevin’s expertise and broad experience with both management and education will be great assets to the park”.

The North Carolina park system began in 1916 when the summit of Mount Mitchell - the tallest peak east of the Rockies - became first state park in the Southeastern United States. The park now encompasses 1,996 acres, and saw 398,091 visitors in 2017.