Nantahala National Forest

Nantahala National Forest

Parks Directory of the United States / National Forests

Address: 160A Zillicoa St
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.

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See other parks in North Carolina.