There are 37 National Heritage Areas in the United States. Each one is unique, and the experiences they offer are very diverse. The 25-county region of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area includes the Qualla Boundary and the following counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
A land of mountain wilderness, waterfalls, Cherokee tradition, string bands, and craft studios, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is truly a region with a personality like no other.
The Pisgah National Forest covers 1,076,711 acres across Western North Carolina. This large area includes tracts surrounding the town of Asheville and the French Broad River Valley. Tremendous recreational opportunities, including hiking and backpacking, abound within its boundaries. This forest is divided up into 4 ranger districts: Grandfather, Toecane, French Broad, and Pisgah. The Grandfather and Toecane Ranger Districts lie in the northern mountains of NC.
The North Carolina Arboretum is a 434-acre public garden located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest. Surrounded by the botanically diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains, the Arboretum is nestled in one of the most beautiful natural garden settings in America.
Established in 1986 by the General Assembly as an inter-institutional facility of the University of North Carolina, the Arboretum came into existence nearly a century after this country's father of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, first envisioned such an institution near Asheville.
A center for education, research, conservation and economic development, and garden demonstration, the Arboretum offers a wide range of activities for visitors of all ages.
City park of 19 acres, which includes baseball fields, basketball courts, racquetball courts, tennis courts, football field, two pavilions with picnic tables and grills, two gazebos, a playground, a lighted walking trail, and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
Hickory Creek and the Broad River carved the Hickory Nut Gorge which runs southeast from Hickory Nut Gap and drops 1,800 feet in elevation before ending at Lake Lure. Also includes Bat Cave and Chimney Rock. It is home to 13 rare animal and 34 rare plant species. To date, more than 3000 acres are under conservation protection.
The Visitor Center for the Hickory Nut Gorge Chamber of Commerce is located at 2926 Memorial Hwy, Lake Lure NC
Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles North Carolina and Tennessee. The Park preserves a rich cultural tapestry of Southern Appalachian history.
Biological diversity is the hallmark of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which encompasses over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
Weather plays an important part on whether a particular part of the Park is open to the public. Check before you travel there.
Plunging waterfalls, rugged river gorges, sheer rock walls and one of the greatest concentrations of rare and unique species in the eastern United States are found within Gorges State Park. An elevation that rises 2,000 feet in only four miles, combined swiss replica watches with rainfall in excess of 80 inches per year, creates a temperate rain forest and supports a collection of waterfalls.
Park hours November-February, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. March and October, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. April, May, September, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. June-August, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed Christmas Day Christian louboutin shoes Park office hours 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily Closed state holidays
DuPont Forest is made up of more than 10,000 acres of forest, trails, and waterfalls between Hendersonville and Brevard, North Carolina. Horseback riding, hiking, picnicing, mountain biking, boating and swimming available.
