Hi everyone! Hopefully classes have died down and you are beginning to enjoy the holiday season. Now that school is done, it is the perfect time to focus on your health and get outdoors. So, in honor of that, this month we will be reviewing some of the national forests/parks here in North Carolina. National forests and parks are areas set aside for conservation efforts, as well as areas where the public can go to enjoy nature and understand the importance of protecting natural environments. Hopefully throughout this series you will find a forest or park that you can visit!
The first national forest that we will be ‘reviewing’ is Pisgah National Forest located 40 miles SW of Asheville, NC. This forest is made up of nearly 500,000 acres of land, filled with rivers, waterfalls, and LOTS of hiking trails. This is one of the first national forests to be created in the eastern portion of the United States, with the land being purchased in 1911. Pisgah National Forest is located in the Blue Ridge Mountain Range, which connects it to wildlife, hiking, and outdoor experiences from Pennsylvania to Georgia.
There are LOTS of hiking trails that make Pisgah National Forest a must see destinations, but we will look at a few memorable hiking trails that you will definitely want to visit:
Linville Falls: This trail offers views of both the upper and lower falls, and provides a great place to picnic, backpack, or even camp.
Table Rock Trail: This is a 1.4 mile long trail that takes visitors to the top of the ridge, providing a 360 degree view of the Linville Gorge and Grandfather Mountains. This trail also provides access to ledges perfect for rock climbing.
Linville Gorge Wilderness Area: Made up of the Linville River, Linville Mountain, and Jonas Ridge, the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area houses many of Pisgah National Forests hiking trails. As well as provides the opportunity to fish, hunt, backpack, hike, or even camp.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Pisgah National Forest, and the best thing is that these trails are completely free to the public, even camping is free (you just need to download the free permit). National Forests like Pisgah are a great way to get out in nature and have a fun trip without spending any money, and hopefully it will help you appreciate the natural world a little more. Next week we will explore more National Forests right here in North Carolina, so stay tuned to see where we explore next!
- Edible Landscape Team
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