Headwaters State Forest is a

state forest A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign or federated state, or territory. Background The precise application of the terms vary by jurisdiction. For example: * In Australia, a ...

, located in

Transylvania County Transylvania County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census the population is 32,986. Its county seat is Brevard. Transylvania County comprises the Brevard Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included i ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, along the

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

state line and is part of a larger 100,000+ acre conservation corridor that stretches some 80 miles along the state line. The name originates from the fact that the forest contains the headwaters of East Fork of the

French Broad River The French Broad River is a river in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee. It flows from near the town of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into Tennessee, where its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville form ...

. The

North Carolina Forest Service The North Carolina Forest Service, formerly known as the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources is a North Carolina state government agency responsible for providing land management assistance to landowners. The agency's primary responsibili ...

primarily manages the forest for water and

soil quality Soil quality refers to the condition of soil based on its capacity to perform ecosystem services that meet the needs of human and non-human life.Tóth, G., Stolbovoy, V. and Montanarella, 2007. Soil Quality and Sustainability Evaluation - An integr ...

, as well as protecting rare species; however, primitive recreational uses are permitted.

History

The forest was established in 2009 when Congressman

Charles H. Taylor Charles H. Taylor may refer to: * Charles Taylor (North Carolina politician) (born 1941), US congressman from North Carolina * Charles H. Taylor (Michigan politician) (1813–1889), American politician who served as the Michigan Secretary of State ...

agreed to sell about to the state, which was one of the largest remaining tracts of privately held land in

Western North Carolina Western North Carolina (often abbreviated as WNC) is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains; it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It contains the highest mountains in the Eastern United ...

. Over the next 9 years,

The Conservation Fund The Conservation Fund is a U.S. nonprofit organization with a dual charter to pursue environmental preservation and economic development. From 2008–2018, it has placed more than 500,000 acres under conservation management through a program wh ...

and Conserving Carolina assisted with the acquisition, by purchasing portions of the property as grants became available, then turning them over to the North Carolina Forest Service. A small, portion of the property around the summit of

Sassafras Mountain Sassafras Mountain is the highest point in the state of South Carolina, United States. It is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains. An observation tower opened on top of Sassafras Mountain in 2019. Location It is located ...

was given to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for development of an observation tower at South Carolina's highest point. On September 8, 2018, the beginning of deer season, Headwaters State Forest was opened to the public.

Recreation

The forest is open to

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

. Mountain biking, horse back riding and

off-roading Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain. Types of off-roading range in intensity, from leisure drives with unmodified vehicl ...

are not permitted. The NC Forest Service plans on maintaining the forest in a primitive, undeveloped state with few visitor facilities. A spur of the

Foothills Trail The Foothills Trail is a National Recreation Trail in South and North Carolina, United States, for recreational hiking and backpacking. It extends from Table Rock State Park to Oconee State Park. It passes through the Andrew Pickens Ranger Di ...

follows along the southern boundary of the forest, connecting

Caesars Head State Park Caesars Head State Park is a park in northern Greenville County, South Carolina, that borders Transylvania County, North Carolina, and is reached via US 276. The eponymous rock formation, one of the highest points in Greenville County, is a gran ...

(SC). There are several waterfalls in the forest, including East Fork Falls, Reece Place Falls and Graveley Falls. Bursted Rock is regarded as the most scenic vantage point in the forest.

Nearby state parks

The following state parks and state forests are within of Headwaters State Forest: *

(

) *

Devils Fork State Park Devils Fork State Park is in northwestern South Carolina on the eastern edge of the Sumter National Forest at the edge of 7,500-acre (3,035 ha) Lake Jocassee. It is located three miles (5 km) off SC 11, the Cherokee Scenic Highway, n ...

(South Carolina) *

DuPont State Recreational Forest DuPont State Recreational Forest, commonly known as DuPont Forest, is a state forest, located in Henderson and Transylvania counties of North Carolina. The name originates from the fact that the DuPont company arranged the sale of the original t ...

(North Carolina) *

Gorges State Park Gorges State Park is a North Carolina state park in Transylvania County, North Carolina in the United States and along with other conservation lands is part of a 100,000+ acre conservation corridor stretching some 80 miles along the NC/SC state ...

(North Carolina) *

Holmes Educational State Forest Holmes Educational State Forest (HESF) is a state forest, located in Henderson County, North Carolina. It is near the much larger DuPont State Recreational Forest, which is responsible for its management. The forest is in the Blue Ridge Mountain ...

(North Carolina) * Horsepasture State Natural River (North Carolina) *

Jones Gap State Park Jones Gap State Park is a South Carolina state park in northern Greenville County, near Marietta. The park, which includes the headwaters of the Middle Saluda River, is, with Caesars Head State Park, administered by the state Department of Par ...

(South Carolina) *

Keowee-Toxaway State Park Keowee-Toxaway State Park is a state park in Pickens County, South Carolina. It was created in 1970 along the shores of Lake Keowee from lands previously owned by Duke Power. The Keowee-Toxaway Museum includes exhibits about the area Cherokee ...

(South Carolina) * Oconee State Park (South Carolina) * Oconee Station State Historic Site (South Carolina) *

Paris Mountain State Park Paris Mountain State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of South Carolina, located five miles (8 km) north of Greenville. Activities available in the park include hiking, biking, swimming and picnicking. The Lake Placid offers swimmin ...

(South Carolina) *

Pisgah View State Park Pisgah View State Park is a developing North Carolina state park in Buncombe and Haywood Counties, North Carolina, in the United States. The center piece of the park is the approximately Pisgah View Ranch, which has rental cabins, equestrian ...

(North Carolina) * Poe Creek State Forest (South Carolina) * Table Rock State Park (South Carolina)

References

External links

* {{Protected areas of North Carolina North Carolina state forests State forests of the Appalachians Protected areas of Transylvania County, North Carolina Protected areas established in 2009 2009 establishments in North Carolina

History

Recreation

Nearby state parks

See also

References

External links