The Nantahala National Forest ( /ˌnæntəˈheɪlə/), is the largest of the four national forests in

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 So ...

, 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 The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

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.

History

Cherokee

Colonists from South Carolina established a trade of deer hides with Cherokees from the Nantahala region, their homeland. This eventually lead to several signed treaties that left the Cherokee to give up their lands in present day South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina, occurring between 1721 to 1777. After the establishment of the new American government, the Cherokee were forced to further give up territory in other parts of North Carolina and lands in Kentucky and Tennessee with the Treaty of Hopewell in 1785. Despite their 30 year efforts, their land was offered to Revolutionary War veterans of the colonists. The Cherokee were forced westward, which brings up the historical events of the Trail of Tears. This removal route was used between 1830 to 1850 and headed Fort Butler in Murphy, North Carolina to Oklahoma. However, present North Carolina still has a strong, pronounced population of Cherokee.

Exploration

The Spanish

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, O ...

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1500 – 21 May, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire ...

explored the area in 1540, as did English colonist

William Bartram William Bartram (April 20, 1739 – July 22, 1823) was an American botanist, ornithologist, natural historian and explorer. Bartram was the author of an acclaimed book, now known by the shortened title ''Bartram's Travels'', which chronicled ...

(1739-1823) in the 18th century. The

Nantahala River The Nantahala River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

, son to John Bartram, is considered to be the "America's first native-born naturalist-illustrator". He journeyed through eight colonies to document the botanical, geographical, and cultural discoveries he made throughout the four years of exploration. At the age of 21, Bartram left home in Philadelphia to live with his uncle at Cape Fear River in North Carolina. His uncle, after being kidnapped as a child, welcomed his nephew to manage the trading post. Shortly after, John Bartram was appointed by King George III to be the royal botanist of the New World in 1765. Both John and William journeyed together to collect plants in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Following this expedition, Bartram was sponsored by John Fothergill to make a 2,400 miles journey across southeastern America, this being his most memorialized trip. Bartram's work promoted an interest in the region's greenery and significantly contributed to natural history literature. Within the most recent century, Bartram's work has contributed to increased public awareness of environmental preservation. Bartram Trail was created in his memory in the Nantahala Ranger District, where most of his travels occurred. The trail is not true to his exact path as a result of human development, but the trail spans from North Carolina's Cheoah River to Georgia's Russel Bridge at the Chattooga River. It is said that the most scenic portion of the trail is along Trimont Ridge in the Nantahala Mountains, where it crosses Fishhawk Mountains.

Environmental protection

Late 1800s

During this time, Dr. Chase P. Ambler made a vow to protect the western mountains of North Carolina. He created the Appalachian National Park Association and fought to protect the land. His work lead him to write to Congress about land preservation in 1901. Congress responded with a $5,000 find to survey the forest. Between that time, the Forest Reserve Act was passed by Congress 1891. Today, it may be known as the U.S. Forest Service, its name originating from President Benjamin Harrison. This act went on to protect national forests in the southeast by having the government purchase land to make them into national forests.

Early 1900s

Following the Forest Reserve Act, the Weeks Act was presented to Congress in hopes to continue preserving forests with government funds being used to purchase both public and private lands. The Weeks Act, named after John Weeks, was signed by President William Taft to protect forests and has been named to be the most successful pieces of conservation legislation by protecting over 20 million acres of land. In previous years, the lands were occupied and abandoned by logging companies. These companies had often stripped the land of its resources before selling to maximize profits and evade taxation. To the government's surprise, they were able to purchase over 850 acres from 359 private owners. However, with many unwilling to sell, private land remains scattered throughout the Nantahala. January 29, 1920, President Woodrow Wilson made purchase to combined lands in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to form the Nantahala National Forest, which was much of the original territories of the Cherokee. This purchase, though, had initially excluded Cherokee, Graham, and Swain countries which President Warren Harding's formed into the Pisgah National Forest in 1921. Later in 1929, President Herbert Hoover "transferred" lands to expand its boundaries by combining both the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. The forest then faced major remapping in 1936.

Geography

The terrain varies in elevation from 5,800 feet (1,767.8 m) at Lone Bald in Jackson County, to 1,200 feet (365.8 m) in

Cherokee County Cherokee County is the name of eight counties in the United States: * Cherokee County, Alabama * Cherokee County, Georgia * Cherokee County, Iowa * Cherokee County, Kansas * Cherokee County, North Carolina * Cherokee County, Oklahoma * Cherokee Co ...

along the

Hiwassee River The Hiwassee River has its headwaters on the north slope of Rocky Mountain in Towns County in the northern area of the State of Georgia. It flows northward into North Carolina before turning westward into Tennessee, flowing into the Tennessee Riv ...

below the

Appalachia Dam Apalachia Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Hiwassee River in Cherokee County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The dam is the lowermost of three dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in t ...

. It is the home of many western NC waterfalls. The last part of the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway travels through this forest. The total area under management is 531,270 acres (830.11 sq. mi.; 2,149.97 km²). In descending order of land area it is located in parts of Macon,

Graham Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan ...

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

, Swain and

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

counties. The forest had initially spanned over Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. However, in 1936, the forest was reorganized into following the state boundaries of North Carolina. Several areas of

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

have been identified in the Nantahala National Forest, totaling some . The

Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness, created in 1975, covers in the Nantahala National Forest in western North Carolina and the Cherokee National Forest in eastern Tennessee, in the watersheds of the Slickrock and Little Santeetlah Creeks. It is na ...

in particular contains nearly of old-growth forest.

Within the Nantahala National Forest

Management

The Nantahala National Forest is administered by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

, part of the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

. The forest is managed together with the other three North Carolina National Forests (

Croatan The Croatan were a small Native American ethnic group living in the coastal areas of what is now North Carolina. They might have been a branch of the larger Roanoke people or allied with them. The Croatan lived in current Dare County, an a ...

, Pisgah, and Uwharrie) from common headquarters in

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

= Cheoah Ranger District

= The Cheoah Ranger District has 120,110 acres (187.7 sq. mi.; 486.1 km²) in

and Swain Counties, and it is headquartered in

Robbinsville, North Carolina Robbinsville is a town in Graham County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 620 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Graham County, county population 8,861. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town h ...

. The district's name, Cheoah, is the Cherokee word for "otter", because the lands adjoin four large mountain reservoirs and contain numerous streams. The

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tr ...

winds through the Cheoah Ranger District after leaving the Nantahala Ranger District on its way to the

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park in the southeastern United States, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, whi ...

. The district also contains the

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is an approximately 3,800-acre tract of publicly owned virgin forest in Graham County, North Carolina, named in memory of poet Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918), best known for his poem "Trees". One of the largest contiguo ...

and part of the

. The

within the national forest was dedicated on July 30, 1936 to, poet,

Joyce Kilmer Alfred Joyce Kilmer (December 6, 1886 – July 30, 1918) was an American writer and poet mainly remembered for a short poem titled "Trees" (1913), which was published in the collection ''Trees and Other Poems'' in 1914. Though a prolific poet who ...

with trees that are over 450 years old!

= Nantahala Ranger District

= The Nantahala Ranger District is the largest of the forest's districts, covering an area of about 250,000 acres (390.6 sq. mi.; 1,011.7 km²) in Macon,

and Swain counties. It was formed in 2007 by consolidating the former Highlands Ranger District and Wayah Ranger District. The headquarters are in

Franklin, North Carolina Franklin is a town in and the county seat of Macon County, North Carolina, United States. It is situated within the Nantahala National Forest. The population was reported to be 4,175 in the 2020 census, an increase from the total of 3,845 tabul ...

. Part of the district is adjacent to the

Cherokee Indian Reservation The Qualla Boundary or The Qualla is territory held as a land trust by the United States government for the federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who reside in western North Carolina. The area is part of the large historic Chero ...

. This district's features include the 5,499-foot (1,676.10 m) Standing Indian Mountain, the

Nantahala Gorge The Nantahala River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Wayah Bald. Four

long distance trail A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents exce ...

s pass through the district: the Appalachian, Bartram,

Foothills Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topograp ...

, and Mountains-to-Sea Trails. The district contains the 40,000-acre (62.5 sq. mi.; 161.9 km²) Roy Taylor Forest located in Jackson County, southwest of and adjacent to the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenand ...

, that it acquired in 1981. The rugged and scenic Tuckasegee Gorge is within the Roy Taylor Forest. During the consolidation, all the lands of the former Highlands Ranger District within

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 ...

, were transferred to the Pisgah Ranger District.

= Tusquitee Ranger District

= The 158,348-acre (247.4 sq. mi.; 640.8 km²) Tusquitee Ranger District is the forest's second largest district, and it is located in far southwestern tip of North Carolina, within

and

Counties. Tusquitee is Cherokee for "where the

water dog A water dog is a type of gundog bred to flush and retrieve game from water. Water dogs are considered the progenitors of most modern retriever dog breeds. Description Water dogs are usually medium-sized, active dogs; their most distinctive ...

s laughed," and the district is headquartered in

Murphy, North Carolina Murphy is a town in and the county seat of Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. It is situated at the confluence of the Hiwassee River, Hiwassee and Valley River, Valley rivers. It is the westernmost county seat in the state of North Ca ...

. The district's features include the

Hiawassee River The Hiwassee River has its headwaters on the north slope of Rocky Mountain in Towns County in the northern area of the State of Georgia. It flows northward into North Carolina before turning westward into Tennessee, flowing into the Tennessee Ri ...

Jackrabbit Mountain Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...

as well as

Lake Chatuge Lake Chatuge is a man-made reservoir in Towns County, Georgia, and Clay County, North Carolina. It lies along the Hiwassee River created by the Chatuge Dam which finished construction in 1942. The lake is relatively shallow with depths of and r ...

Lake Hiawassee A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

Lake Appalachia A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

. All the lakes on or bordering the Tusquitee Ranger District are managed by

TVA The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a Federal government of the United States, federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, an ...

. The highest point on the district is Tusquitee Bald (5,280 feet (1,609 m)) located in Clay County.

Wilderness areas and attractions

Ancient Tulip-tree grove in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest

Three
wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...
areas are located within the Nantahala National Forest

* Ellicott Rock Wilderness is located near

Highlands, North Carolina Highlands is an incorporated town in Macon County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located on a plateau in the southern Appalachian Mountains, within the Nantahala National Forest, it lies mostly in southeastern Macon County and slightly i ...

at the intersection of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia state lines, with 3,900 acres (16 km²) in the North Carolina portion. * The

Southern Nantahala Wilderness The Southern Nantahala Wilderness was designated in 1984 and currently consists of . Approximately are located in Georgia in the Chattahoochee National Forest and approximately are located in North Carolina in the Nantahala National Forest. The ...

includes 10,900 acres (17.0 sq. mi.; 44.1 km²) in the North Carolina portion and lies in the Tusquitee and Nantahala Ranger Districts. Joyce * Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness which includes another 13,100 acres (53.0 km²) in North Carolina. These wilderness areas provide an opportunity for solitude in a rugged, natural setting. The Forest manages two Off-Highway Vehicle areas. The most famous being Tellico OHV area located in the Tusquitee Ranger District an additional OHV area is located in the Nantahala Ranger District. Many miles of trout water exist in the forest.

Attractions

* Appalachian Trail is between two of North Carolina's national forests: the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Nantahala National Forest. * Bartram Trail has been dedicated to William Bartram and his contribution to the forest's exploration and preservation of history. *Wayah Bald is intersection of the Appalachian and Bartram Trails. It is known as a historical overlook that was built by the civilian conservation core. *Whitewater Falls is the highest east of the Rockies. Its upper falls goes down 411 feet, totaling 811 feet.

References

External links

Map of Nantahala National Forest

Franklin Chamber of Commerce page

USDA Forest Service North Carolina

Read Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding US policy on National Forests
{{authority control National Forests of North Carolina National Forests of the Appalachians Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Old-growth forests Protected areas of Macon County, North Carolina Protected areas of Graham County, North Carolina Protected areas of Cherokee County, North Carolina Protected areas of Jackson County, North Carolina Protected areas of Clay County, North Carolina Protected areas of Swain County, North Carolina Protected areas established in 1920 1920 establishments in North Carolina Western North Carolina