Mt Mitchell is the highest summit east of the Mississippi River. The area offers the standard features of a state park (stores, restrooms, picnic tables, campsites, restaurant, etc). Like Clingman’s Dome, the vast majority of visitors drive to a parking … Continued
I stumbled upon Turnpike Creek Beach while hiking a patchwork loop through the Shining Rock Wilderness. I camped near the Ivestor Gap/Art Loeb Trail intersection. After breaking camp the next morning, I took the Fork Mountain Trail north to this … Continued
Courthouse Falls is a 40-foot plunge waterfall a few miles off Highway 215 in North Carolina. It gets its name by being on the backside of Devil’s Courthouse, a popular scenic overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. View this post … Continued
Cathedral Falls is a unique waterfall just off Highway 215 in North Carolina. I usually don’t blog about locations that are on private property, but the landowners here welcome sightseers. The land is owned by Living Waters, a Christian Retreat … Continued
I’ve been meaning to visit the Cataloochee Valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) for years. I tried to spend a weekend there in the fall of 2016, but wildfires resulted in temporary road and park closures. I’m not … Continued
Looking Glass Rock is one of the more famous peaks in Pisgah National Forest. Its bald, stone face is easily observed from the Blue Ridge Parkway. There is parking in a dedicated lot at the trailhead and along the road. … Continued
The Poinsett Bridge is a relic of a bygone era when traveling across mountain ranges took weeks rather than hours. Poinsett Bridge is the oldest bridge in South Carolina and perhaps in the entire southeastern United States. Named for Joel … Continued