Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Pisgah National Forest is completely contained within the state of North Carolina. The forest is managed together with the other three North Carolina National Forests from common headquarters in Asheville, North Carolina. There are local ranger district offices located in Pisgah Forest, Mars Hill, and Nebo.
Upper Creek Falls near the community of Linville in Pisgah National Forest
This historical image shows the entrance arch into Pisgah National Forest as it appeared from 1916 to 1936, until U.S. 276 was built.
Linville Gorge Wilderness in the Pisgah National Forest.
Waterfall on West Prong Hickey Fork Creek
Nantahala National Forest
The Nantahala National Forest is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina, lying in the mountains and valleys of western North Carolina. The Nantahala is the second wettest region in the country, after the Pacific Northwest. Due to its environmental importance and historical ties with the Cherokee, the forest was officially established on January 29, 1920, by President Woodrow Wilson. The word "Nantahala" is a Cherokee derived, meaning "Land of the Noonday Sun." In some spots, the sun reaches the floors of the deep gorges of the forest only when it is high overhead at midday. This was part of the homeland of the historic Cherokee and their indigenous ancestors, who have occupied the region for thousands of years. The Nantahala River runs through it.
Cullasaja Falls, Nantahala National Forest, in Macon County, North Carolina
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
Ancient tulip poplar grove in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.
Picnic site in the park, 1937.