Located in the heart of North Carolina's Blue Ridge mountains, the Pisgah National Forest gives East Coasters plenty of reasons to stay put. As the Blue Ridge Parkway winds its way through the forest's hazy peaks, it passes Mount Mitchell, the highest summit east of the Mississippi River. Further south you'll find Craggy Gardens, one of the best places in the world to see rhododendron in bloom. In the Pisgah you can hike through virgin forest, mountain-bike over endless single-path tracks, paddle world-class whitewater rapis, fly-fish, and climb. There's even skiing, though the forest's southerly location means summer lasts a looooong time. Read More »
Pisgah National Forest Highlights
- Here lies one of the best-kept secrets in southern Appalachia—a shrewd alternative to the Great Smoky Mountains. True, the most popular national park in America lays claim to some ecological rarities, but for most of the park's ten million-plus visitors a fern is a fern and a skink is a skink. Instead of lining up to share the Smoky's clogged campgrounds, trails, and sights with half of the Eastern Seaboard, the cunning pitch their tents here in one of Pisgah's four ranger districts.
- For many, perhaps the most appealing of the four is the 157,000-acre Pisgah Ranger District. Sandwiched by the exploration-worthy towns of Asheville, Brevard, and Waynesville, the Pisgah Ranger District features a cluster of handsome waterfalls as well as the untouched Shining Rock and Middle Prong wilderness areas. The Blue Ridge Parkway bisects the district, and it is a short and unduly popular 1.6-mile hike from the parkway to the antennae-crowned, wooded top of Mount Pisgah. The National Park Service runs the 137-site Mount Pisgah campground on the parkway, just opposite the Pisgah Inn.
- The Grandfather District stars the 12-mile-long and intensely steep Linville Gorge. Here, the Linville River plummets 2,000 feet while Linville Mountain, and such rugged and beloved rock formations as Sitting Bear and the Chimney Rock, look on from high above. Camping in the gorge is strictly primitive, and so is the hiking. Bring a compass and topographical map—and know how to use them.
- The awkwardly named Appalachian/Toecane Ranger District is beloved for its plentiful family camping areas. Families can picnic beneath the rhododendron at Roan Mountain Gardens and enjoy swimming and tubing spots along the South Toe River. There are also hiking trails to pretty Douglas Falls and to the crest of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the eastern United States.
- With 12,000 acres of steep terrain and soaring cliffs that have kept farmers and lumberjacks at bay over the centuries, the rugged Linville Gorge Wilderness, dubbed "the Grand Canyon of North Carolina," is prime territory for backpacking, rock climbing, and solitary fly-fishing. From Babel Rock you can watch hawks soar over granite walls and towers. The Linville River that carved the gorge over millennia offers great fly-fishing when you reach the bottom.
- Nestled in a spectacular gorge along the Tennessee border, the Nolichucky River gets less traffic than other rivers in the region. But don't let that fool you. Unlike many of its southeastern cousins, where controlled-release schedules make river levels predictable, Nolichucky whitewater is all natural. You'll find the prime runs on the upper sections, starting in Poplar, North Carolina. Stretches of Class III-IV water extend some 30 miles into Tennessee, with enough drops, holes, and chutes to satisfy the most discriminating masochist. Farther down, the river quiets to some Class II that's great for canoeing.
- There's a good reason North Carolina Outward Bound leads its mountain-biking courses in the Pisgah: The terrain offers enough variation and technical challenge to suit all abilities. And you'll need to hone your navigational skills to avoid getting lost on a seemingly endless network of trails. North of Asheville, the rugged, remote Staire Creek route climbs and descends past waterfalls, streams, and a cave. To the southwest, the Black Mountain (a.k.a. Clawhammer) route attracts hardcore enthusiasts with a four-mile, 1,900-foot technical downhill.
- Drive the winding two-lane highway that climbs steadily through the forest, part of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway that extends from Pisgah north to Virginia's Shenandoah National Park. There are innumerable places to stop and hike here, where the vivid scarlets and flaming oranges of autumn and the blue of blooming spring wildflowers blend with dramatic mountain views.
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Pisgah National Forest Travel Q&A
- Answer this
- Why is there no mention of hunting in Pisgah Nat Forest?
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I believe it is permitted by law but I see nothing on the GORP pages about hunting.
Asked on March 13, 2012 by Lou
What You Can Do in Pisgah National Forest
- Biking
- Camping
- Fishing
- Hiking and Backpacking
- Nature
- Paddling
- Scenic Drives
- Scuba Diving
- Windsurfing
Articles & Advice on Pisgah National Forest
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- Pisgah National Forest
- Trekking and Backpacking
- Dives and Drives
- Southeastern Swimholes: Head south for some great backcountry dips
- Top Ten Fall Forests
- Bold Colors on the Blue Ridge: Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina
- Top Ten Canoeing and Flatwater Rafting Trips
- French Broad, North Carolina
- Paddling the Gnarly Nolichucky
- Rarin' to Go in North Carolina
Where are you going?
What do you want to do?
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Parks Near Pisgah National Forest
- Shining Rock Wilderness Area,NC (10 mi.)
- Ellicott Rock Wilderness,SC (26 mi.)
- Nantahala River,NC (39 mi.)
GEARZILLA: The Gorp Gear Blog
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