Table of Contents

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Table of Contents TableContents of Contents Introduction ............................ 10 How to Use this Guide..................19 1 Before the Blue Ridge ..........23 Hanging Rock State Park ........24 1 Hanging Rock Loop ..........26 2 Moore’s Wall Loop ............29 3 Pilot Mountain State Park ...32 South Mountains State Park ....38 4 Chestnut Knob/Waterfall .. 40 5 Jacob Fork Watershed ......45 6 Lake James State Park ......48 7 Catawba River Greenway .........................52 2 Northwest Corner ................. 57 Stone Mountain State Park ......58 8 Stone Mountain Loop .......61 In Stone Mountain State Park, an old 9 Wolf Rock Loop .................66 chimney still stands on Wolf Rock Loop. Doughton Park ........................70 10 Basin Creek .......................72 22 Linville Gorge Loop .........125 11 Bluff Mountain Trail ............76 23 Hawksbill .........................130 24 Table Rock/Chimneys .....132 12 Mt. Jefferson .................... 80 25 Linville Falls ......................136 3 Blowing Rock .......................83 26 Shortoff Mountain ...........140 13 Blowing Rock Drive ............84 5 Hot Springs ........................ 145 Moses H. Cone Park ...............88 27 Big Bald ..........................150 14 Rich Mountain Loop .........90 28 Roundtop Ridge .............154 15 Bass Lake/The Maze ..........93 29 Laurel Creek....................158 16 Flat Top Tower ...................96 30 Max Patch Loop .............162 17 Boone Fork Loop ...............98 31 Pigeon River Gorge ........165 18 Tanawha Trail ..................102 6 Pisgah – Appalachian Dist. 171 4 The High Country ............... 107 32 Hump Mountain ............. 172 Grandfather Mountain ..........108 The Blacks ............................. 178 19 Grandfather Trail ............. 111 33 Maple Camp Bald .........182 20 Profile Trail ....................... 115 34 Big Butt Trail .....................186 35 Douglas Falls ..................190 21 Lost Cove Loop ............... 118 36 Catawba Falls ................194 Linville Gorge and Falls .........122 37 Kitsuma Peak ..................198 6 Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains Table of Contents 7 Hickory Nut Gorge .............203 11 Cherohala Skyway ........... 341 38 Florence Preserve .......... 208 66 Skyway Hikes ...................342 39 Bat Cave ........................ 212 40 Chimney Rock ................ 216 Appendices ..........................349 41 Rumbling Bald ................220 Appendix A: 42 Worlds Edge ....................224 The Hikes .........................350 8 Pisgah District ....................229 Appendix B: 43 Coffee Pot Loop .............234 Hiking Safety and Skills ....354 44 Cantrell Creek Lodge .....238 Appendix C: 45 Pink Beds Loop ................242 Day Hiking Gear .............358 46 Twin Falls Loop ................246 Appendix D: Who was Art Loeb? .........250 Resources .......................359 47 Cat Gap/Art Loeb ...........252 Appendix E: 48 Pilot Mountain .................256 Selected Hikes ................361 49 Sam Knob/ Appendix F: Black Balsam ..................260 Hiking Glossary ...............362 50 Mt. Hardy ........................265 Appendix G: Related Books 51 Pinnacle Park ..................269 and Movies .....................365 9 Great Smoky Mountains Appendix H: National Park ..................... 275 Heritage Hiking 52 Big Cataloochee Drive ...280 Challenge ......................368 53 Boogerman Loop ...........283 Index .................................... 369 54 Caldwell Fork Loop .........286 55 Little Cataloochee..........290 56 Charlies Bunion/ Kephart Prong .................293 57 Mt. LeConte ....................298 58 Gregory Bald ................. 304 59 Hazel Creek ....................307 10 Highlands Plateau ........... 313 60 Canebrake Trail .............. 314 The Highlands Plateau .......... 318 61 Plateau Drive ..................322 62 Whiteside Mountain ........326 63 Yellow Mountain..............329 64 Scaly Mountain ...............333 65 Little Tennessee River Greenway .......................336 Taking in a grand view from the trail on Grandfather Mountain. Table of Contents 7.
Recommended publications
  • Spring-2015-Guide.Pdf
    SPRING | | SUMMER | | 2015 www.advguides.com Proudly Partnered with Thanks to all our supporters for making 2013 a productive year. Here are some highlights from the year, as we partnered with our 300 collaborating organizations to make the French Broad River Watershed a destination to live, work, and play; now and into the future. 2013 RiverLink Accomplishments: • Was voted “Best Environmental Group” for the 8th year in a row in the Mountain Xpress. Thank you, Western North Carolina! • Continued on-going work at Karen Cragnolin Park using phytoremediation. • Added a new river access point at our • Opened three new French Broad River Performance Plaza and received funding paddle-in campsites, which are free and to add another river access in 2014. open to the public with no reservation. • Partnered with the City of Asheville • Hosted the second year of RiverMusic, and the UNCA Foundation to develop a a free family-friendly summer long greenway along Reed Creek. concert series by the river. • We accepted numerous riparian • In addition to our 1700 amazing conservation easements, including a 13- existing volunteers, we welcomed acre easement along the French Broad 785 new stewards of the river who River in Madison County. contributed 2539 hours of service. • Received $400,000 in funding for the • Participated in the 2013 North Carolina Craven Street (New Belgium Brewing Big Sweep cleaning over 20 miles of the Company) clean water and stormwater French Broad River and its tributaries. improvements. Become a voice of the river. Please call 828-252-8474 or visit www.riverlink.org to make your tax deductible donation.
    [Show full text]
  • Recreational Rock Hounding
    Designated Areas On the Nantahala and Pisgah NFs Wilderness (6) – 66,388 ac Wilderness Study Areas (5) • Ellicott Rock – 3,394 ac • Craggy Mountain – 2,380 ac • Joyce Kilmer/Slickrock- 13,562ac • Harper Creek – 7,140 ac • Linville Gorge – 11,786 • Lost Cove – 5,710 ac • Overflow – 3,200 ac • Middle Prong – 7,460 Roan Mountain • Shining Rock – 18,483 • Snowbird – 8,490 ac • Southern Nantahala – 11,703 Experimental Forests (3) Wild and Scenic Rivers (3) • Bent Creek – 5,242 ac • Chattooga • Blue Valley – 1,400 ac • Horsepasture • Coweeta – 5,482 ac • Wilson Creek National Scenic Trail (1) Balds – 3,880 ac • Appalachian Trail– 12,450 ac, approximately 240 miles Whiteside Mountain Roan Mountain – 7,900 ac Research Natural Areas (2) • Walker Cove – 53 Designated areas on the forest • Black Mountain – 1,405 include areas that are nationally Special Interest Areas (40) – 40,787 ac designated (i.e. wilderness, • Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest – 3,840 ac National Historic Area (1) roadless areas) and those that are • Santeetlah Crk Bluffs – 495 ac • Cradle of Forestry – 6,540 ac designated in the current forest • Bonas Defeat Gorge – 305 ac plan with a particular • Bryson Branch – 44 ac Inventoried Roadless Areas (33) – management that differs from • Cole Mountain-Shortoff Mountain – 56 ac 124,000 ac • Cullasaja Gorge – 1,425 ac general forest management. • Bald Mountain – 11,227 ac • Ellicott Rock-Chattooga River – 1,997 ac • Balsam Cone – 10,651 ac Designated areas are generally • Kelsey Track – 256 ac • Barkers Creek (Addition) – 974 ac unsuitable for timber production. • Piney Knob Fork – 32 ac • Bearwallow – 4,112 ac • Scaly Mountain and Catstairs – 130 ac Total designated area is • Big Indian (Addition) – 1,152 ac • Slick Rock – 11 ac • Boteler Peak – 4,215 ac approximately 268,000 acres, • Walking Fern Cove – 19 ac • Cheoah Bald – 7,802 ac ~34% of the total forest.
    [Show full text]
  • Geology of the West Half of the Cove Creek Gap Quadrangle and Adjacent Areas, Western North Carolina: Insights Into Eastern Great Smoky Mountains Tectonometamorphism
    University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences Earth and Environmental Sciences 2014 GEOLOGY OF THE WEST HALF OF THE COVE CREEK GAP QUADRANGLE AND ADJACENT AREAS, WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: INSIGHTS INTO EASTERN GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS TECTONOMETAMORPHISM Daniel F. Spaulding University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Spaulding, Daniel F., "GEOLOGY OF THE WEST HALF OF THE COVE CREEK GAP QUADRANGLE AND ADJACENT AREAS, WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: INSIGHTS INTO EASTERN GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS TECTONOMETAMORPHISM" (2014). Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences. 23. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/ees_etds/23 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Earth and Environmental Sciences at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known.
    [Show full text]
  • Blue Ridge Parkway DIRECTORY & TRAVEL PLANNER Includes the Parkway Milepost
    Blue Ridge Park way DIRECTORY & TRAVEL PLANNER Includes The Parkway Milepost Shenandoah National Park / Skyline Drive, Virginia Luray Caverns Luray, VA Exit at Skyline Drive Milepost 31.5 The Natural Bridge of Virginia Natural Bridge, VA Exit at Milepost 63.9 Grandfather Mountain Linville, NC Exit at Milepost 305.1 2011 COVER chosen.indd 3 1/25/11 1:09:28 PM The North The 62nd Edition Carolina Arboretum, OFFICIAL PUBLICATION BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY ASSOCIATION, INC. Asheville, NC. P. O. BOX 2136, ASHEVILLE, NC 28802 Exit at (828) 670-1924 Milepost 393 COPYRIGHT 2011 NO Portion OF THIS GUIDE OR ITS MAPS may BE REPRINTED WITHOUT PERMISSION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE USA. Some Parkway photographs by William A. Bake, Mike Booher, Vickie Dameron and Jeff Greenberg © Blue Ridge Parkway Association Layout/Design: Imagewerks Productions: Fletcher, NC This free Travel Directory is published by the 500+ PROMOTING member Blue Ridge Parkway Association to help you more TOURISM FOR fully enjoy your Parkway area vacation. Our member- MORE THAN ship includes attractions, outdoor recreation, accom- modations, restaurants, 60 YEARS shops, and a variety of other services essential to the trav- eler. All our members are included in this Travel Directory. Distribution of the Directory does not imply endorsement by the National Park Service of the busi- nesses or commercial services listed. When you visit their place of business, please let them know you found them in the Blue Ridge Parkway Travel Directory. This will help us ensure the availability of another Directory for you the next time you visit the Parkway area.
    [Show full text]
  • Blue Ridge Park Way DIRECTORY TRAVEL PLANNER
    65 TH Edition Blue Ridge Park way www.blueridgeparkway.org DIRECTORY TRAVEL PLANNER Includes THE PARKWAY MILEPOST Biltmore Asheville, NC Exit at Milepost 388.8 Grandfather Mountain Linville, NC Exit at Milepost 305.1 Roanoke Star and Overlook Roanoke, VA Exit at Milepost 120 Official Publication of the Blue Ridge Parkway Association The 65th Edition OFFICIAL PUBLICATION BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY ASSOCIATION, INC. P. O. BOX 2136, ASHEVILLE, NC 28802 (828) 670-1924 www.blueridgeparkway.org • [email protected] COPYRIGHT 2014 NO Portion OF THIS GUIDE OR ITS MAPS may BE REPRINTED WITHOUT PERMISSION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE USA. Some Parkway photographs by William A. Bake, Mike Booher, Vicki Dameron and Jeff Greenberg © Blue Ridge Parkway Association Layout/Design: Imagewerks Productions: Arden, NC This free Directory & Travel PROMOTING Planner is published by the 500+ member Blue Ridge TOURISM FOR Parkway Association to help Chimney Rock at you more fully enjoy your Chimney Rock State Park Parkway area vacation. MORE THAN Members representing attractions, outdoor recre- ation, accommodations, res- Follow us for more Blue Ridge Parkway 60 YEARS taurants, shops, and a variety of other services essential to information and resources: the traveler are included in this publication. When you visit their place of business, please let them know www.blueridgeparkway.org you found them in the Blue Ridge Parkway Directory & Travel Planner. This will help us ensure the availability of another Directory & Travel Planner for your next visit
    [Show full text]
  • Grandfather Mountain Trail
    generations to come. to generations www.grandfather.com the mountain in its awesome state for for state awesome its in mountain the And with your help, we’ll preserve preserve we’ll help, your with And nowhere else on earth. on else nowhere say that Grandfather is like like is Grandfather that say Reserve family, it’s safe to to safe it’s family, Reserve the International Biosphere Biosphere International the in the Southeast. Southeast. the in including induction into into induction including of the most wonder-filled places places wonder-filled most the of to worldwide recognition, recognition, worldwide to Grandfather Mountain is one one is Mountain Grandfather features and natural diversity have led led have diversity natural and features and an impressive array of wildlife, wildlife, of array impressive an and imperiled. As its unique unique its As imperiled. Known for sweeping views views sweeping for Known 29 of which are globally globally are which of 29 and endangered species, species, endangered and and protect at least 70 rare rare 70 least at protect and communities that house house that communities you can fi nd 16 distinct ecological ecological distinct 16 nd fi can you of this ancient mountain, mountain, ancient this of On the slopes and peaks peaks and slopes the On impression. impression. Wonders never cease never Wonders visit here is sure to leave an an leave to sure is here visit High Swinging Bridge, a a Bridge, Swinging High NORTH CAROLINA NORTH MOUNTAIN scenery, to making the trip across the Mile Mile the across trip the making to scenery, Welcome to Grandfather Mountain Grandfather to Welcome ® GRANDFATHER habitat, to relaxing among unparalleled unparalleled among relaxing to habitat, Linville, NC 28646 Linville, NC explore.
    [Show full text]
  • Vice Chief Says Trail Would Not Be Welcome
    Carolina Mountain Club January 2013 From The Editor Hike Save Trails January has been an eventful month. U.S 441, a major artery into the smokies, collapsed (See Make Friends the firsthand account by Mike Knies), the possibility of rerouting the MST into the Cherokee reservation looks like an impossibility (see Les Love's article), and a new challenge to honor the club's 90th anniversary has been announced. New Year's Day hikers found a clear cut muddy mess on the annual hike (See Bruce Bente's article and Ashok Kudva's photos). There is plenty to keep CMC members busy in 2013. In This Issue Every year CMC recognizes a member for consistent and extraordinary contributions to the club Cherokee Says during their membership. Skip Sheldon received that honor this year. Read about how this crew Trail Would leader goes beyond the average person to keep the trails maintained for CMC and all hikers. Not Be Thank you Skip. Welcome Starting this month, there is a new section in the eNews. It will feature thank you notes and CMC classifieds. Submit items as directed for articles. Anniversary Challenges If anyone has any articles for the newsletter, send them to me at [email protected] First Hand Account Of The newsletter will go out the last Friday of every month. The deadline to submit news is the Collapse Friday before it goes out. Skip Sheldon Maintains High Sincerely, Standard Kathy Kyle Annual Hike Carolina Mountain Club Clearcut Vice Chief Says Trail Would Not Be Protecting Courthouse Welcome By Territorial Residents Viewshed Janssen By Les Love Selected As I met on Thursday with the Vice Chief of the Eastern Band, Superintendent Larry Blythe, for close to an hour.
    [Show full text]
  • Safe Haven in Rocky Fork Hiawassee
    JOURNEYS THE MAGAZINE OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY January – February 2013 INSIDE: Safe Haven in Rocky Fork ❙ Hiawassee, Georgia ❙ Creative Collaboration ❘ JOURNEYS From thE EDitor THE MAGAZINE OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY Volume 9, Number 1 PRACTICAL MAGIC. WHEN I HEAR THE woRDs “MAGIC,” aNd “ENCHANTMENT” January – February 2013 to describe the Appalachian Trail, I think of another kind of magic that happens behind the scenes. Consider how closely the Trail skirts a densely-populated portion of the country; then consider any A.T. trailhead from Georgia to Maine a doorway to a peaceful, wooded path, strewn Mission with pristine waterways, grassy balds, and high ridge lines, and it does indeed sound like illusion The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail — ensuring — but the magic is real. that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, A recent letter sent to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) headquarters especially and for centuries to come. punctuates this message. “In a way, it was like going back in time — leaving the modern and finding a much less complicated way of life alive in our country,” wrote ATC member Mary Holmes after completing her hike of the Trail. She continued with these Board of Directors A.T. Journeys poignant words: “The Trail is a miracle — first that it exists intact and J. Robert (Bob) Almand ❘ Chair Wendy K. Probst ❘ Managing Editor that it weaves through the most developed part of the country. It William L. (Bill) Plouffe ❘ Vice Chair Traci Anfuso-Young ❘ Graphic Designer should be an example in years to come of the value of conservation On the Cover: Kara Ball ❘ Secretary and inspire ever-greater conservation efforts.” The Trail is a model for “As winter scenes go, very few top the Arthur Foley ❘ Treasurer Contributors success, due to the serious and pragmatic work of the ATC staff beauty of fresh snow and ice clinging Lenny Bernstein Laurie Potteiger ❘ Information Services Manager members, A.T.
    [Show full text]
  • Curt Teich Postcard Archives Towns and Cities
    Curt Teich Postcard Archives Towns and Cities Alaska Aialik Bay Alaska Highway Alcan Highway Anchorage Arctic Auk Lake Cape Prince of Wales Castle Rock Chilkoot Pass Columbia Glacier Cook Inlet Copper River Cordova Curry Dawson Denali Denali National Park Eagle Fairbanks Five Finger Rapids Gastineau Channel Glacier Bay Glenn Highway Haines Harding Gateway Homer Hoonah Hurricane Gulch Inland Passage Inside Passage Isabel Pass Juneau Katmai National Monument Kenai Kenai Lake Kenai Peninsula Kenai River Kechikan Ketchikan Creek Kodiak Kodiak Island Kotzebue Lake Atlin Lake Bennett Latouche Lynn Canal Matanuska Valley McKinley Park Mendenhall Glacier Miles Canyon Montgomery Mount Blackburn Mount Dewey Mount McKinley Mount McKinley Park Mount O’Neal Mount Sanford Muir Glacier Nome North Slope Noyes Island Nushagak Opelika Palmer Petersburg Pribilof Island Resurrection Bay Richardson Highway Rocy Point St. Michael Sawtooth Mountain Sentinal Island Seward Sitka Sitka National Park Skagway Southeastern Alaska Stikine Rier Sulzer Summit Swift Current Taku Glacier Taku Inlet Taku Lodge Tanana Tanana River Tok Tunnel Mountain Valdez White Pass Whitehorse Wrangell Wrangell Narrow Yukon Yukon River General Views—no specific location Alabama Albany Albertville Alexander City Andalusia Anniston Ashford Athens Attalla Auburn Batesville Bessemer Birmingham Blue Lake Blue Springs Boaz Bobler’s Creek Boyles Brewton Bridgeport Camden Camp Hill Camp Rucker Carbon Hill Castleberry Centerville Centre Chapman Chattahoochee Valley Cheaha State Park Choctaw County
    [Show full text]
  • Upper Creek Project Environmental Assessment (EA) Within the Grandfather Ranger District, Burke and Caldwell Counties
    United States Forest National Forests in North Carolina 109 E Lawing Dr Department of Service Pisgah National Forest Nebo, NC 28761-9827 Agriculture Grandfather Ranger District 828-652-2144 File Code: 1950-1 Date: February 1, 2006 Dear Interested Citizen: I have signed the Decision Notice (DN) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Upper Creek Project Environmental Assessment (EA) within the Grandfather Ranger District, Burke and Caldwell Counties. The DN discusses in detail my decision and rationale for reaching it. Copies of the DN and FONSI are enclosed. The November 2005 EA has been modified and clarified to correct typographic errors and address issues and concerns raised by members of the public during the 30-day notice and comment period and to be more responsive to new information. The January 2006 EA is the result of this effort and is available on our web site (http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/nepa/nepa.htm) or upon request. This decision is subject to appeal pursuant to 36 CFR 215.11. A written appeal, including attachments, must be postmarked or received within 45 days after the date this notice is published in The McDowell News. The Appeal shall be sent to National Forests in North Carolina, ATTN: Appeals Deciding Officer, PO Box 2750, Asheville, North Carolina 28802. Appeals may be faxed to (828) 257-4263. Hand-delivered appeals must be received within normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Appeals may also be mailed electronically in a common digital format to: [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • Cmc Annual Meeting Packed with Information, People
    FIRST QUARTER 2004 Quarterly News Bulletin and Hike Schedule P.O. Box 68, Asheville, NC 28802 • www.carolinamtnclub.org • e-mail: [email protected] CMC ANNUAL MEETING PACKED WITH INFORMATION, PEOPLE club is grateful for his efforts. After a treasurer’s report detailing contin- ued losses, Pres. Don Walton said a dues increase would be likely next year despite the very welcome contributions many members have made in addition to their dues. As of this writing, we have collected just over $2000 in extra revenues. Awards presented were: Bernard Elias and Tom Bindrim-- honorary Pisgah 400 members (to kick off the new category); Lenny and Danny Bernstein—Award of Appreciation; Danny Bernstein is seen here accepting the and Les Love—Distinguished Service Award. Award of Appreciation for herself and her Members elected were: President: Don husband, Lenny, from Carroll Koepplinger. Walton, Vice President: Gerry McNabb, Park Superintendent Phil Francis addresses club Secretary: Lenny Bernstein, Treasurer: Bente, Les Love, Linda Blue, Bill Ross, Piet at annual meeting. Carroll Koepplinger, Councilors: Bruce Bodenhorst and Stuart Tauber. Special thanks were given to Joe Cirvello, Becky n extra 35 or so members attended Smucker, and Brad Van Diver, who are leav- this year’s annual meeting, held in ing the Council, for their service to the Club. Athe Grove Park Inn’s Country Club For complete details, see the CMC website. facilities. Featured speaker was acting GSMNP Superintendent Phil Francis. His talk was very informative about issues the New Pisgah 400 category park is facing -- from traffic congestion in the and SB6K referenced in Cades Cove area to the very immediate threat to the park’s hemlock trees from infestation.
    [Show full text]
  • Bald Mountains Geographic Area May 19, 2017
    Bald Mountains Geographic Area May 19, 2017 **Disclaimer: The specific descriptions, goals, desired conditions, and objectives only apply to the National Forest System Lands within the Bald Mountains Geographic Area. However, nearby communities and surrounding lands are considered and used as context. ** Bald Mountains Geographic Area Updated: May 19, 2017 Description of area High elevation grassy balds add a striking diversity to the Bald Mountains Geographic Area, which is shaped by the Roan Mountain Massif, Iron Mountain Ridge, and the Unaka and Bald Mountains. The balds on these long, mostly parallel ridges are primarily treeless and provide spectacular long-range views. The 20-mile stretch of mountain-top balds along the Roan-Unaka Mountain Range known as the Roan Highlands contains a mix of species unique on the Forests. A prominent tourist destination since the 19th century, the Roan Highlands remain one of the most visited sites in the region. One of the most distinct features of the landscape is the internationally-known Roan Mountain Rhododendron Garden, occurring at over 6,000 feet. The steep sideslopes of the undulating peaks along the state border have many drainages that feed into steep, cold streams. These streams flow to small rivers, and into the Nolichucky, French Broad, Pigeon, and Elk Rivers. The Nolichucky River significantly influences the landscape as it cuts a deep gorge separating Flattop Mountain to the south and the Unaka Mountains to the north. The region's forests include northern hardwoods and spruce-fir at higher elevations and abundant rich cove forests in the southern portion of the geographic area.
    [Show full text]