The
Western North Carolina Mountains offer some of the most
beautiful State and National Parks and public places in the world including the most
visited National Park, The Blueridge Parkway. Enjoy waterfalls,
hiking trails, water sports, natural wonders, educational centers
and more. |
North
Carolina National Forests.
Information provided through NCnatural.com about
Croatan, Nantahala,
Pisgah, Uwharrie. This is the unofficial 
site on
trails, fishing, biking, etc. Visit
the site.
Or go to the Official webesite for North Carolina's National Forests from
the US Forest Service.
Everything you need to know about recreation, planning, resources, etc. North
Carolina National Forests site.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Ridge upon
ridge of endless forest straddles the border between North
Carolina and
Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for the
diversity of its plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and
the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is
America's most visited national park. Great
Smoky Mountains National Park site. |
Mount
Mitchell State Park. There are a
few places in the world that still stand apart from the ordinary. Rising
more  than a mile high, surrounded by the gentle mist of low-hanging
clouds, Mount Mitchell State Park is one of these extraordinary places. In the crest of the timeworn Black
Mountains lies the summit of Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the
Mississippi. For those who ascend this mighty peak, what looms in the
horizon is a feast for the eyesbreathtaking views of the Blue Ridge
Mountains, rolling ridges and fertile valleys. Forested and forever misty,
1,855-acre Mount Mitchell State Park will provide you with some of the
most tranquil moments you'll ever experience. Mount
Mitchell State park site.
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Blueridge National Heritage Area.
Come experience a land where ancient landscapes endure and age-old traditions  flourish.
Find yourself breathless at the sight of waves of blue-misted mountains,
graceful waterfalls, and extraordinary wildlife. This is the Blue Ridge, a place
where every visit refreshes the spirit and renews the soul. Established by
Congress in November 2003, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (Trail)
recognizes and celebrates the natural abundance and richly varied cultural
history of the North Carolina mountains. The Heritage
"trail" includes Agricultural, Craft, Cherokee, Music and Natural
heritage components.
Bluerifge National Heritage site. |
Dupont
State Forest.
One of North Carolina's newest parks Dupont offers
more than 10,000 acres of forest,  trails, and
10 waterfalls and is located
between Hendersonville and Brevard, North Carolina. You can enjoy the
trails by foot, bike or horse or bring the fishing gear or picnic basket. Visit
the Friends of Dupont Forest site.
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Friends
of the Black and Great Craggy Mountains.
The Black and Craggy
Mountains, twenty miles northeast of 
Asheville, in Western North Carolina
are where Mt. Mitchell (the highest peak in the Eastern United States) is
located and contains an extensive amount of old growth forest. This area
vied with The Great Smokey Mountains region earlier this century for
National Park status and lost out to the Smokies. The Blacks' and Craggies'
Spruce-Fir Forests and rugged topography are unparalleled in the Southern
Appalachians. Friends
of the Black and Great Craggy Mountains site. |
North
Carolina Trails Program.
The State Trails Program is a section
of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. The
program originated in
1973 with the North Carolina Trails System Act and is dedicated to helping
citizens, organizations and agencies plan, develop and manage all types of
trails ranging from greenways and trails for hiking, biking and horseback
riding to river trails and off-highway vehicle trails. North
Carolina Trails Program site.
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North
Carolina Waterfalls.
Welcome to one of the most beautiful
places on Earth - the mountains of western North 
Carolina. There are
hundreds of waterfalls and miles of hiking trails in this area and you
could spend a lifetime trying to see everything. Like most of the Great Outdoors, photos don't do the real
thing justice, but they do allow you to catch a glimpse of a part of
Nature that you might have otherwise missed. North
Carolina Waterfalls site. |
Grandfather
Mountain.
Grandfather Mountain is the highest peak in the Blue
Ridge mountain range and a globally 
recognized nature preserve. Stand head
and shoulders above the surrounding region, be awe struck by 360-degree
views of mountain ridge after mountain ridge retreating to the horizon,
and discover sanctuary for the human spirit.
Grandfather Mountain site
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Linville Gorge and Falls.
The Linville Gorge, near the town of
Linville Falls, NC, is the deepest and one of  the
most rugged and scenic gorges in the Eastern United States. Nicknamed the Grand
Canyon of the East, it is protected by the 12,000-acre Linville Gorge Wilderness
Area, one of the first to be included in the National Wilderness System with the
passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964. The steep walls of the Linville Gorge
enclose the Linville River for 12 miles. The river, which begins at Grandfather
Mountain, enters the Gorge at the spectacular Linville Falls, NC then descends
over 2,000 feet before breaking into the Catawba Valley on its way to Lake
James.
Linville Gorge site. |
Pearson's Falls.
The remarkable botanical diversity and the
beautiful waterfalls in  this
peaceful glen near Tryon, North Carolina, have attracted nature-lovers,
botanists and picnickers for many generations. Visitors today can enjoy
the 90-foot falls and native wildflower garden, as well as the over 200 ferns,
flowering plants, algae and mosses of Pearson's Falls by hiking the quarter-mile
Glen Trail. The glen was purchased after the Civil War by engineer Captain
Charles William Pearson who discovered the falls while scouting for a railroad
route from South Carolina to Asheville.
Pearson's Falls site.
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Whitewater falls.
Upper Whitewater
Falls, located in the Nantahala National Forest near Cashiers, North Carolina,  drops
over 411 feet and is the highest falls east of the Rocky Mountains. Lower
Whitewater Falls, located just across the border in South Carolina, drops
another 400 feet. The rugged terrain around these two waterfalls remains
wild and undeveloped. A paved, wheel-chair accessible walkway leads from
the parking lot to the upper overlook which provides an excellent view of the
upper Whitewater Falls. A lower overlook is located at the bottom of 154
wooden steps. Because of the difficult terrain surrounding Whitewater
Falls, visitors are urged not venture off the established trails.
Whitewater Falls site. |
THE BLUERIDGE PARKWAY.
At 469 miles long the Parkway is the
nation's longest scenic rural parkway. Now 70 years  old it is administered
by the National Park Service and host to approximately 20 million visits
annually. It connects the Shenandoah Valley National Park with the Great Smokey
Mountains National park in North Carolina and Tennessee. Along the route are
opportunities for lodging, dining, camping, hiking and simply enjoying
breathtaking views from easily accessible overlooks and picnic areas. Visit
the Blueridge Parkway Association and the Official
National Parks Site.
Blueridge
Parkway Hiking Trails.
The Parkway, for 469.1 uninterrupted
miles, displays blue-misted mountains, 
cascading waterfalls, rolling
pasture, and gorges banked with wildflowers. The Parkway offers hikers of
all skill levels the opportunity to explore more than 100 varied and
intriguing trails in North Carolina and Virginia. Meandering alongside and
crossing the scenic motor road, the trails provide a close-up look at some
of the most beautiful wilderness in the country. Blueridge
Parkway Hiking Trails site.
Hiking the Parkway.
Some of the favorite hiking trails along the parkway: Cumberland Knob, milepost
217.5.
Linville
Falls and Gorge, milepost 316.3. Crabtree Meadows and Falls,
milepost 339.5-340.3. Mt.
Mitchell State Park, milepost 355.4. Craggy
Gardens, milepost 364.4. Mt. Pisgah, milepost 408.6. Looking
Glass Rock, milepost 417. Graveyard
Fields, milepost 418.8. Devil's
Courthouse, milepost 422.4. Mount
Hardy, milepost 422.8. Richland
Balsam, milepost 431
History on the Parkway. A number of historic
homes, Revolutionary War sites, and interpreted natural sites can enrich the
traveler's journey. Among them are: Brinegar Cabin, milepost 238.5. Ben Long frescoes at Glendale Springs, milepost 258-259. Moses
Cone Manor and Memorial Park, milepost 292.7. Historic Flat
Top Manor House and Parkway Craft Center, milepost 294. Museum
of North Carolina Minerals, milepost 331. Overmountain
Victory National Historic Trail, milepost 331. Mt.
Mitchell State Park, milepost 355.4. Folk
Art Center, milepost 382.
Restaurants on the Parkway. Bluff's
Lodge and Restaurant, milepost 241 Mt. Pisgah Inn and Restaurant,
milepost 408.6. Waterrock Knob Visitor Information Center,
milepost 451.2. The Switzerland Inn, milepost 334.
For information on road conditions, call (828) 298-0398.
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Panthertown Valley.
Panthertown Valley near Cashiers, North
Carolina, is a unique
landscape in Western North Carolina, with a broad, flat valley floor flanked by
uncommon granite domes with exposed rock rising to 200-300 feet. Located
within the Nantahala National Forest, the scenic valley offers excellent hiking
with a network of trails and old logging roads that lead to waterfalls and
spectacular overlooks. In 1989, the North Carolina Chapter of The Nature
Conservancy purchased 6,295 acres of the valley from Duke Power as an addition
to the Nantahala National Forest and to protect the many natural communities of
plants that thrive there, including the rare southern Appalachian bog and the
swamp forest-bog community. Panthertown
Valley site.
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CHIMNEY
ROCK PARK.
Standing
atop Chimney Rock, a 500 million-year-old giant granite monolith
overlooking Hickory Nut Gorge, visitors are awed by the breathtaking view
that spreads 1200 vertical feet beneath them and 75 miles  across
the Carolinas. The privately owned park, located in Chimney Rock, North
Carolina, encompasses 1,000 acres, including the Chimney itself and
Hickory Nut Falls. Chimney Rock Park is the natural fulfillment of your trip
to the mountains. The Park, located 25 miles
southeast of Asheville, North Carolina, offers the best of the mountains
in one place-spectacular 75-mile views, hiking trails for all ages, a
404-foot waterfall, a variety of special events and much more. Chimney
Rock Park site. |
The
Pisgah National Forest
has 501,691 acres stretching
across the eastern edge of Western North Carolina's mountains. The Forest offers hiking
trails, fishing, camping, picnic sites, and spectacular waterfalls.
Some of Pisgah National Forest's attractions include Looking Glass Falls,
Sliding Rock, Pisgah Forest State Fish Hatchery, Pisgah Center for Wildlife
Education, The Cradle of Forestry and the North Mills River Recreational Area.
The North Mills River Recreational Area is located in Henderson County, just 13 miles from Downtown
Hendersonville and offers picnic sites,
campsites, river fishing & tubing. The Pisgah National
Forest is distinguished by a number of treasured natural attractions:
Joyce
Kilmer Memorial Forest preserves one of the largest stands of old
growth trees in the eastern United States
Cradle
of Forestry site of America's first school of forestry
Linville
Gorge and Falls deepest gorge in the eastern United States
Looking
Glass Rock a striking mountain landmark popular with hikers and rock
climbers
Mount
Hardy a 6,110 peak protected by a Wilderness Area
Pink
Beds lush forested area known for its profusion of mountain laurel and
rhododendron blooms
Richland
Balsam highest peak on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Roan
Mountain five-mile ridge known for its spectacular display of
rhododendron blooms
Rocky
Bluff Recreation Area a park near Hot Springs popular with hikers,
anglers and campers
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National Scenic Byways.
The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department
of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The program is a grass-roots
collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance
selected roads throughout the United States. Since 1992, the National Scenic  Byways
Program has provided funding for almost 1500 state and nationally designated
byway projects in 48 states. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes
certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or
more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic
qualities. The NC mountain Byways include:
Appalachian
Medley Black Mountain
Rag Drovers Road
Forest Heritage
Scenic Byway French Broad
Overview Indian Lakes
Scenic Byway Little Parkway
Mission
Crossing Mountain Waters
Scenic Byway Nantahala Byway
New River
Valley Byway Pacolet River
Byway Pottery Road
South Mountain
Scenery Upper Yadkin
Way Waterfall Byway
Whitewater Way
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NC State Parks.
Gorges
State Park - between Brevard and Cashiers
Holmes
Educational State Forest - Hendersonville
Lake
James - Linville
Mount
Jefferson State Park between Jefferson and West Jefferson, NC
Mount
Mitchell State Park off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Burnsville, NC
New
River State Park near Jefferson
Pilot
Mountain State Park Pinnacle
Rendezvous
Mountain Educational State Forest - between Wilkesboro
and Laurel Springs, near Boone
South
Mountains State Park Connelly Springs, near Morganton
Stone
Mountain State Park Roaring Gap
Tuttle
Educational State Forest - Lenoir near Hickory |
Nantahala National
Forest. The Nantahala National Forest anchors the far southwestern
corner of North Carolina with 528,541 acres of lush forests, high mountain
wilderness, and a whitewater river that cuts through a magnificent gorge so deep
that it only gets direct sunlight at mid-day. The Cherokee called the
gorge "Nantahala," which means "land of the noonday sun."
Adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Nantahala National
Forest is the largest of the four National Forests in North Carolina.
Within its boundaries are three designated Wilderness Areas and two Wild and
Scenic Rivers. The Nantahala National Forest is distinguished by a number
of treasured natural attractions:
Chattooga
River Gorge a Wild and Scenic River
Cullusaja
River Gorge a spectacular scenic drive along the Mountain Waters Scenic
Byway
Little
Tennesssee River one of the best-preserved, free-flowing rivers in the
North Carolina mountains
Nantahala
River Bogs some of the few remaining bogs in the North Carolina
mountains
Panthertown
Valley a unique landscape nicknamed "the Yosemite of the East"
Wayah
Bald a unique landscape feature and popular hiking destination
Whiteside
Mountain site of the highest sheer cliffs in the eastern United States
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Visitor Guides
Free visitor guides for the North Carolina mountains can be
obtained from the following organizations:
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