Scenic Overlooks
Wayah Bald
Read more about Wayah BaldMount Mitchell State Park
Read more about Mount Mitchell State ParkMount Jefferson State Natural Area
Read more about Mount Jefferson State Natural AreaHickory Nut Gorge
Read more about Hickory Nut GorgeWhitewater Falls
Upper Whitewater Falls, near Cashiers, North Carolina, drops over 411 feet and is the highest falls east of the Rocky Mountains. Lower Whitewater Falls, located just across the border in South Carolina, drops another 400 feet. The rugged terrain around these two waterfalls remains wild and undeveloped.
Read more about Whitewater FallsWhiteside Mountain
The sparkling white cliffs of Whiteside Mountain, in the Nantahala National Forest near Highlands, North Carolina, have long been a landmark along the eastern continental divide. The 750 feet tall cliffs are the highest shear cliffs in the eastern United States.
Read more about Whiteside MountainWayah Bald
Wayah Bald, near Franklin, North Carolina, is a popular destination for hikers, especially in the early summer when rhododendron and azalea are in bloom. Its historic fire tower affords great views of the southern Appalachian mountains in three states.
Wayah Bald is named for the red wolves once lived on its slopes. "Wa ya" means wolf in the Cherokee language. Spear points found on the bald indicate that indigenous people used the area as hunting grounds more than eleven thousand years ago.
Read more about Wayah BaldStone Mountain State Park
Stone Mountain State Park, located off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Sparta, North Carolina, is named for a magnificent 600-foot granite dome estimated to be 300 million years old. Designated a National Natural Landmark in 1975, the 14,000-acre park features cascading waterfalls, cool mountain streams, and quiet forests teeming with wildlife.
Read more about Stone Mountain State ParkGrandfather Mountain
Read more about Grandfather MountainPilot Mountain State Park
Rising 1,400 feet above a rolling plain, Pilot Mountain, near Mount Airy, North Carolina, served as a landmark for both Native Americans and pioneer travelers. The mountain was known to the native Saura Indians as "Jomeokee," the "Great Guide" or "Pilot." Today, it is a 3,703-acre State Park.
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