Nantahala National Forest
Nantahala National Forest
Asheville, NC 28802
Phone:828-257-4200
Web: www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc
Size: 531,286 acres.
Location:Southwestern North Carolina. Accessible by US 19, 64, and 129; NC 28 and 107. Nearby cities/towns include Bryson City, Hayesville, Murphy, and Robbinsville.
Facilities:Campgrounds, group camp, lodge, picnic sites, trails (1,734 miles), swimming beaches, boat ramps, lookout tower, scenic drives, ORV areas.
Activities:Camping, hunting, fishing, boating, canoeing, whitewater rafting, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, ORV riding, rock climbing.
Special Features:Because the sun penetrates the bottom of the gorge only at noon, the Cherokee named the area Nantahala, "Land of the Noon-Day Sun." Attractions include Nantahala River Gorge, an 8.5-mile stretch of Nantahala River known as a world-class whitewater river; a portion of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (see entry in national trails section); Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, a remnant old-growth forest that contains specimens of more than 100 tree species, many more than 400 years old. 411-foot Whitewater Falls, the highest falls east of the Rocky Mountains. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (see entry in national parks section) adjoins the forest at its northern boundary.
See other parks in North Carolina.