The many pools and waterfalls of Jackson County’s Panthertown Valley are popular summer destinations.
With more than 530,000 acres, the Nantahala National Forest is the largest in North Carolina. Founded in 1920, it is a national treasure rich in natural wonders. The dramatic Nantahala Gorge gives the forest its name—Nantahala being a Cherokee word meaning “Land of the Noonday Sun”—because its mountainsides rise so steeply that sunlight illuminates the valley floor only at midday.
Whiteside Mountain and Wayah Bald provide stunning panoramas of WNC’s mountains. Two long-distance trails—the Appalachian Trail and the Bertram Trail—cross the forest, offering a world-class experience to hikers. Manmade lakes, such as Fontana, Chatuge and Hiwassee, along with many wild rivers, provide water sports in spectacular settings. So pack a lunch or a backpack and enjoy one of the most beautiful places in America.
Digital Heritage Moments are produced at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. To learn more, visit digitalheritage.org. You may also hear Digital Heritage Moments each weekday on radio stations WKSF-FM, WWCU-FM, WMXF-AM, WPEK-AM and WWNC-AM.
