Shining Rock is a mountain in western
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 ...
. The mountain is one of the
Great Balsam Mountains
The Great Balsam Mountains, or Balsam Mountains, are in the mountain region of western North Carolina, United States. The Great Balsams are a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which in turn are a part of the Appalachian Mountains. The most f ...
which are a part of the
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the world, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsy ...
within the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
. It is the 38th tallest mountain in the eastern
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
Shining Rock is in the
Shining Rock Wilderness near milepost 420 of 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 Shenan ...
. The
Art Loeb Trail
The Art Loeb Trail is a hiking trail located in Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina. The northern terminus is at the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp in Haywood County, while the trail's southern terminus is located near the Davidson Ri ...
passes just below the summit.
Shining Rock is named for the large white quartzite rock outcropping near its summit.
Cherokee lore
According to the
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 ...
anthropologist
James Mooney
James Mooney (February 10, 1861 – December 22, 1921) was an American ethnographer who lived for several years among the Cherokee. Known as "The Indian Man", he conducted major studies of Southeastern Indians, as well as of tribes on the G ...
, the
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 ...
name for Shining Rock, Datsu'nălâsgûñ'yĭ, translates to "where their tracks are this way" and refers to a rock that is said to have tracks of
Tsul 'Kalu and his children.
[ p 480]
This is distinct from Judaculla Rock
which is discussed with
Tsul 'Kalu, is south of 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 Shenan ...
and contains petroglyphs. Confusion arises because Judaculla (or Jutaculla) is a European corruption of the name
Tsul 'Kalu; hence there appear to be two rocks of Cherokee lore named with variations of the name.
See also
*
List of mountains in North Carolina
This article lists notable mountains in the U.S. state of North Carolina.
Highest mountains
The following sortable table lists the 20 highest mountain peaks of North Carolina with at least of topographic prominence.
References
{{coord, 35, 22, 05, N, 82, 51, 44, W, region:US, format=dms, display=title
Protected areas of Haywood County, North Carolina
Mountains of North Carolina
Southern Sixers
Landmarks in North Carolina
Mountains of Haywood County, North Carolina
Religious places of the indigenous peoples of North America