The Park at Flat Rock is one of the premier places to visit in our Village. On any given day, you will find hundreds of walkers, joggers, dog owners, the occasional biker, and happy children on the playground. Ask anyone in our area for the perfect place to get outdoors and see a lot of smiling faces, and they will probably point you to The Park.

The Park at Flat Rock has quickly established itself as a go-to destination in Henderson County.

And the person in charge of all that natural beauty and making sure things operate smoothly every day is John Wilkerson, Park Ranger for the Village of Flat Rock.

John has been the Park Ranger for a little over a year. Before taking the position with the Village, he taught Junior ROTC at East Hendersonville High School for six years. About a year ago, he decided it was time to look for a new challenge and Village Council member Ginger Brown encouraged him to apply for the new job as Park Ranger. John did and the rest, as they say, is history.

With an easy demeanor and a quick smile, John is an excellent representative for The Park and the Village. And he loves his new job. “I love being outside in nature in this beautiful park we have here in Flat Rock. I really enjoy helping to support the community by continuing to make this park better and to keep it looking good.”

John gets overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors to The Park. “I have people coming up to me almost daily to tell me what a wonderful facility it is, and how unique it is in the community and the county and even western North Carolina. People love the trails, the open spaces, the nature, the creeks and, of course, the playground.”

“Just this week I’ve had three couples from out of town who are renting here in the community for an extended stay, come to me and tell me how much they love the park."

Like so many others in Flat Rock, John is very happy to live here. “My wife and I traveled around the world with the Air Force for 23 years and we are so fortunate to have ended up here in Flat Rock. This is just the perfect place for us.”