Waterrock Knob is a mountain peak in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

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 ...

. It is the highest peak in the

Plott Balsams The Plott Balsams are a mountain range in western North Carolina, in the southeastern United States. They are part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Plott Balsams stretch from the city of Sylva in t ...

and is the 16th-highest mountain in the Eastern United States. The mountain is a popular destination with tourists and amateur hikers, as it is easily accessible from the parkway. A visitors' center is located near its summit and a hiking trail leads to its top. The hiking trail and visitors' center are manned and maintained by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

, part of the

United States Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the ma ...

Name

Waterrock Knob is named as such because of a

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season) Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...

located near the summit where hunters would refill their canteens.Powell, William. ''The North Carolina Gazetteer, 2nd Ed.'' Univ of North Carolina Press. (2010). pp. 551. .Lemon, Cindy. ''Southern Appalachian Day Hikes.'' (2015). .

Geography

With an elevation of , Waterrock Knob is the highest peak in the

and is the 13th-highest mountain in the Eastern United States if using a prominence rule. The mountain is split by both

Haywood Haywood may refer to: Places Canada * Haywood, Manitoba United Kingdom * Haywood, Herefordshire * Great Haywood, Staffordshire * Little Haywood, Staffordshire United States * Hayward, California, formerly Haywood * Haywood, Kentucky * Haywood, ...

and

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 ...

counties in the western mountains of North Carolina. The mountain's summit is located within 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 ...

National Park Service unit.

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 ...

is located about to the west, while Richland Balsam is located about to the southeast.

Hiking

Waterrock Knob's summit can be accessed from the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center, located a milepost 451.2 on the

. This long trail ascends over from visitor center's parking lot and is paved for the first quarter mile.Waterrock Knob, Milepost 451.2
Virtual Blue Ridge. Retrieved 10 September 2017.Jabado, Salwa. ''Fodor's The Carolinas and Georgia.'' (2009). Fodor's Travel Publications. pp. 169. .

Images

Image:Waterrock_Knob_NC.jpg , From the visitor center parking lot Image:Looking south from the summit of Waterrock Knob.jpg , Taken from the summit of Waterrock Knob Image:View_wrn03.jpg , View of the Waterrock Knob parking lot and the Blue Ridge Parkway from the summit of Waterrock Knob Image:18-23-059-waterrock.jpg, Waterrock Knob Trail

References

Mountains of North Carolina Southern Sixers Landmarks in North Carolina Protected areas of Jackson County, North Carolina Protected areas of Haywood County, North Carolina Blue Ridge Parkway Landforms of Jackson County, North Carolina Mountains of Haywood County, North Carolina {{JacksonCountyNC-geo-stub

Name

Geography

Hiking

Images

See also

References