Hugh MacRae Morton (February 19, 1921 – June 1, 2006) was a photographer and nature conservationist who developed Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.

[1] Hugh MacRae Morton entered the University of North Carolina in 1940 and took photographs for the student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel.

In 1952 Morton extended and improved a vehicle road to the top of the mountain, and erected the original Mile High Swinging Bridge to provide visitor access to one of the most spectacular scenic vistas in the southeastern United States.

[5] In 1993 Grandfather Mountain became the first privately owned property in the world to receive UNESCO recognition as an International Biosphere Reserve.

[2] During World War II, Morton joined as a member of the Signal Corps, where he was assigned the job of newsreel photographer.

[9] He took pictures of sports at the University of North Carolina for over six decades; one anecdote says that people at UNC basketball games were warned not to block the view of "Mr. Morton's seat."

[2] Morton's work has been featured in magazines such as Life, National Geographic, the Associated Press, Esquire, Time, and many other publications.