Welcome To Pisgah National Forest
It is my distinct pleasure to introduce to you my home town Pisgah Forest. One of the main entrances to the Pisgah National Forest is located at the entrance of the charming town of Brevard, North Carolina. I must say I was blessed to have been born and raised in such a spectacular area of the world. Brevard is located about twenty miles South West of Asheville, North Carolina. The interesting part of this connection to Asheville, is not only the spectacular eclectic qualities of Asheville but the alternative route between Asheville and Brevard. Take the Blue Ridge Parkway route through the Pisgah National Forest, along the way, you'll discover beauty beyond compare.
Pisgah National Forest
Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina and was the first National Forest established in the United States. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The forest gets its name from Mount Pisgah, the highest mountain in the forest. Cold Mountain, made famous by the novel and 2003 major motion picture of the same name is also located within the forest in the Shining Rock Wilderness.read the rest of the Wikipedia article
Highlights of The Pisgah National Forest
Pisgah National Forest features some of the most beautiful and rugged mountain scenery, and the best recreational opportunities in Eastern North America.
The Pisgah National Forest is a large forest that covers much of the north and central western mountains of NC. It is broken up into 4 Ranger Districts.
The Pisgah Ranger District is dominated by Mt. Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Parkway and extends on both sides of the Parkway. It is located roughly between the towns of Brevard, Waynesville and Asheville, NC. This area is especially noted for easy access to many beautiful waterfalls, wonderful hiking and camping opportunities, the Cradle of Forestry, and more. The district also includes the Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness areas.
The Appalachian/French Broad Ranger District lies along the North Carolina / Tennessee border, northeast of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Among the highlights of this region are the Harmon Den area - a mecca for horseback riders, Max Patch mountain - offering stunning panoramic views, the French Broad River and the Appalachian Trail.
The Grandfather Ranger District lies southeast of the Blue Ridge Parkway from north of Asheville to Blowing Rock, NC. Linville Gorge is the predominant feature of the area with very rugged terrain to challenge even experienced hikers. There are also easier trails. Other significant features include the Wilson Creek area, which is highly favored among kayakers and the Brown Mountain Off-Road Vehicle area.
The Appalachian/Toecane Ranger District lies northwest of the Blue Ridge Parkway from north of Asheville to Blowing Rock and to the Tennessee state line. This area contains some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the east including important wildflower habitats at Craggy Gardens and Roan Mountain. Also included in this district are Mt. Mitchell - highest point in eastern America and Grandfather Mountain - an international biosphere preserve, although neither of these are actually National Forest property. The peak of Mt. Mitchell is a North Carolina State Park. Grandfather Mountain is privately owned, but open to the public with an admission charge.
Reference
Amazon.com Camping Supplies
Fabulous Photography
World-Class Mountain Biking Destination
"The Pisgah District of the Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina is a 157,000-square-mile chunk of land on either side of the Blue Ridge Parkway just west of Asheville, North Carolina. This is a very unique place, with hundreds of miles of designated bike trails that are well marked and well maintained, mountains that rise to over 6,000 feet, waterfalls springing from most every stream, enormous rock outcroppings erupting from the dense forest- all this and more in an undeveloped, wild area that is easy to get to. You can find trails that will have you swooshing through dark, green tunnels of mountain laurel and rhododendron, and others where you'll splash through streams and wade whitewater rivers. You can ride to the ridge tops and around sheer rock faces and then zoom back down again after seeing some stunning views. You'll find backcountry camping, public campgrounds, picnic areas, trailhead parking lots, bike shops and lodging nearby, and good roads to take your from one ride to the next.
Mountain bikers are now discovering what other recreationists learned decades ago: Pisgah is a great place to be any time of the year. In summer, the mountains are cool, green and lush. Afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon. At this time of year you can expect to see fishermen wielding fly rods and people floating in inner tubes in the streams. You might see youth groups or families hiking and camping in the backcountry. Some trails are designated for horse use as well, and you might encounter equestrians, especially in the South Mills and Avery Creek areas.
Fall is known as leaf season, and it attracts a different crowd. Look for slow driving cars on the forest roads as passengers crane their necks to see splashes of red, yellow, and orange on the trees. Fall and early winter are also hunting season. You'll want to take caution and wear bright colored clothing, such as blaze orange, at this time of year.
As you ride in Pisgah, you may wonder how the trails stay in such good condition. Many thanks go to the Asheville area Blue Ridge Bike Club and the Pisgah District's rangers and staff. These folks have done everything right to ensure that trails remain open to mountain bike use."
The exerpt above was taken from Off The Beaten Track Volume II A Guide to Mountain Biking In Western North Carolina by: Jim Parham
Mountain Bike WNC
Specialized Mountain Bikes Dealer
Brevard is "Home of the White Squirrel" & "Land of the Waterfalls"
As "Home of the White Squirrel," Brevard, North Carolina, also appreciates their white squirrels, although they have dark eyes and are not albino. There has also been some interbreeding between the white and grays [According to tipster Dan Hay, "causing some to have gray caps and sometimes gray strip down back."].
Brevard College's "White Squirrel Research Institute" has charted the geographic distribution of pale critters in their region. Brevard's white squirrels are legally "protected." The town holds a White Squirrel Festival around Memorial Day Weekend.
New Flickr Photos/ Pisgah National Forest
Click on photos to enlarge...
What a beautiful thing to discover! We had no idea about this thing but now that...
Last weekend we took a trip to the family mountain house in North Carolina. What...
This photo of Whitewater Falls was taken at a lower elevation from the photos I ...
So, I didn't realize until AFTER my trip that I had a smudge on the lens of my c...
I also saw this little guy on the walk home. ;)
Big Creek, GSMNP Western North Carolina.
Winter riding on Black Mtn
One of my panoramics at Biltmore, looking at Mt. Pisgah and a sunset. This was ...
I was tired of waiting for the sensor cleaning kit and these guys are heading so...
Asheville Travel Blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMount Pisgah
Mount Pisgah is a mountain in the Appalachian Mountain Range and part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The mountain's height is 5,721 feet (1,744 metres) and it sits approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Asheville at the crossing of the boundaries of Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Transylvania counties. The mountain is easily accessible via the Blue Ridge Parkway.History
Before the European Settlers entered this part of North Carolina, these mountains and valleys were the exclusive domain of Cherokee Indians. The Cherokees had their own names for Mount Pisgah and the Pisgah Ridge. The mountain was Elseetoss and the ridge was Warwasseeta, and around them the land was rich in game and lush with trees and other plant life.
The name Pisgah comes from the Bible, in the fourth chapter of Deuteronomy, The Lord ordered Moses to the top of this mountain and told him to look in all directions, thus revealing the Promised Land to the tribes of Israel. There are at least two stories as to how this Biblical mountain's name came to be applied to this sylvan eminence in Western North Carolina. They follow below. Pick the one you like.
* In 1776, General Griffith Rutherford led an expedition against the Cherokees. Accompanying this expedition as a chaplain was one James Hall. The men of the expedition saw the mountain from the French Broad River valley and saw a rich land around it -- a land of milk and honey, a promised land. James Hall, preacher and soldier, is credited with drawing the parallel with the land that Moses saw from Pisgah and applying the Biblical appellation to this mountain.
* George Newton was a Presbyterian minister who lived and taught in the late 18th and early 19th centuries at what became Newton Academy in Asheville. Reverend Newton is credited with naming Mt. Pisgah. Because of the extensive view in all directions over a rich land, Reverend Newton felt there was similarity between this mountain and the one on which Moses stood.
The first recorded appearance of the name Mt. Pisgah in North Carolina was in 1808. In this year, part of Buncombe County was split off when Haywood County was created, and part of the new county line was along the "ridge dividing the waters of Pigeon and the French Broad River, to the top of Mount Pisgah."
Thomas Lanier Clingman was a state legislator, United States Congressman, United States Senator, Confederate General, and somewhat given to controversy. He left his mark the history of Western North Carolina through his famous argument with Dr. Elisha Mitchell (for whom Mt. Mitchell was named) and his mark on the land. Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is named for him. He has been described as "an intrepid man of most arrogant and aggressive character, greatest self-confidence, unlimited assurance, prodigious conceit, stupendous aspiration, immense claims, more than common ability, no considerable attainment or culture, great boastfulness, and much curiosity." Mr. Clingman owned 300 acres (1.2 km²) on and around the top of Mt. Pisgah. He owned this land from the 1830's until shortly before his death in 1897, when he sold this land to George W. Vanderbilt.
George Washington Vanderbilt was the grandson of the "commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt. Mr. Vanderbilt began buying land south of Asheville in 1888, and by the time he finished, he owned about 125,000 acres (506 km²), including Mt. Pisgah. Near Asheville, he built his famous Biltmore House, the grounds of which Frederick Law Olmsted landscaped.
Two other famous names are associated with Vanderbilt and Biltmore Estate. In 1891, Gifford Pinchot, recently returned from studying forestry in Europe, became Chief Forester of Biltmore. Here, with Mr. Vanderbilt's strong support, he introduced scientific forestry to the United States. In 1898, Pinchot was named head of the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture.
Dr. Carl A Schenck of the University of Darmstadt came to the United States to succeed Pinchot. When Dr. Schenck came to this country, there were fewer than half dozen trained foresters, and all had studied forestry in Europe. There was no place in the United States to study forestry.
With George W. Vanderbilt's support, Dr. Schenck founded the Biltmore Forestry School in 1898. Classes first met in the village of Biltmore, upstairs in what is now the headquarters of the Biltmore Company. This building is a Registered National Historic Landmark. The field school for the Biltmore Forestry School was near the foot of Mt. Pisgah. The United States Forest Service has done an excellent reconstruction of this school at the Cradle of Forestry in America.
From Answer.com
Rock Climbing-Looking Glass
Looking Glass OutfittersLooking Glass Rock offers routes on premier North Carolina granite domes, slabs, and walls on its miles of climbable faces. There are routes here to challenge everyone from beginner to expert with several faces over 500 feet high. While some cracks found here are reminiscent of Yosemite, the characteristic feature of Looking Glass rock is the "eyebrow (link - FAQ)". These inverted crescents in the rock are generally rounded on top, undercut by a crevice that may provide hand/foot holds or a solid gear placement. They are just as likely to be pretty much useless. Many climbs have a moderate to high degree of slab climbing in them. The 3 mile long rock is more or less teardrop shaped, with climbing on the North, South, and Western exposures.
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Outdoor Recreation Opportunities - Pisgah Inn, North Carolina - The Peak of the Parkway
- From our 5,000 foot elevation at Mt. Pisgah, marvel at the forest-clad mountain peaks, the mist filled coves, and the slopes of fragrant balsams, rhododendrons, mountain laurel and flame azalea. Hike the many trails through a virgin land where deer, bear and other forest creatures play.
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- Waterfalls of the Pisgah Ranger District
- Courthouse
Falls
The Pisgah Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest is home to numerous beautiful waterfalls and has miles of hiking trails to explore. If
you are coming to North Carolina to visit waterfalls for the 1st time, this
would be an excellent area to start in. Some of the trails
Take A Quick Tour
DuPont State Park is very close to Pisgah National Forest
Directions To DuPont State Forest
Mountain Biking DuPont State Forest
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Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division. The province consists of the Northern and Southern physiographic sections, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. They are a mountain chain in the eastern United States, part of the Appalachian Mountains, forming their eastern front from Georgia to Pennsylvania. To the west of the Blue Ridge, between it and the bulk of the Appalachians, lies the Great Valley, bordered on the west by the Ridge and Valley province. The mountains are well known for their bluish color when seen from a distance. Trees put the "blue" in Blue Ridge, from the hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the characteristic haze on the mountains and their distinctive color.
Within the Blue Ridge province, there are two National Parks: the Shenandoah in the northern section and the Great Smoky Mountains in the southern section. The Blue Ridge also contains the Blue Ridge Parkway, a long scenic highway that connects the two parks and is located along the ridge crestlines along the Appalachian Trail.
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Reader Feedback
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coopd
Great content and amazing images! You are blessed to be living there. I love visiting the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains. I've never seen a white squirrel though :( Your lense makes me want to pack my bags and head your way. Maybe soon :) Posted September 07, 2008 |
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Roy-Scribner
Wow! I'm new to Squidoo, so I am searching through all of the camping-related content. Nice lens! Posted August 26, 2008 |
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Evelyn_Saenz
Little Joe Otter was checking out your lens and liked it so well that he is sending you a virtual cup of coffee to hang on your wall. Posted May 07, 2008 |
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iqbal615
Nice National Parks.Also the photo.5 stars Posted April 01, 2008 |
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holacubana
omg! you've created a beautiful lens about my old stomping grounds! you have made me "homesick" for those exquisite mountains. i never thought i would leave there until i took a journey to sedona--my new heaven!hope you'll stop by my i love sedona lens sometime too. Posted March 23, 2008 |
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HarryHoover
Very nice, Jana. Posted March 18, 2008 |
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natdg
Wow! Pisgah National Forest is beautiful. Posted March 16, 2008 |
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JanaMurray
Actually I cannot claim credit for these photos, however I have linked to the flickr photographers, just click on the photo and it will show you who these talented photographers are :) Posted March 04, 2008 |
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onmywaytoga
I forgot to mention, my lense is: http://www.squidoo.com/cabinsplusmore and I have photos of Blue Ridge and Blairsville. Posted March 04, 2008 |
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onmywaytoga
How beautiful your photos are! Your pictures are so serene. Nature is so relaxing, and to be able to take pictures of such beauty is surreal. We have 2 cabin rentals in Blue Ridge, GA, and I take the similar photos like you do. I carry a camera whereever we drive. You never know what you are going to see. Marian, http://www.CabinsPlusMore.com Posted March 04, 2008 |
