There are 37 National Heritage Areas in the United States. Each one is unique, and the experiences they offer are very diverse. The 25-county region of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area includes the Qualla Boundary and the following counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
A land of mountain wilderness, waterfalls, Cherokee tradition, string bands, and craft studios, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is truly a region with a personality like no other.
The Pisgah National Forest covers 1,076,711 acres across Western North Carolina. This large area includes tracts surrounding the town of Asheville and the French Broad River Valley. Tremendous recreational opportunities, including hiking and backpacking, abound within its boundaries. This forest is divided up into 4 ranger districts: Grandfather, Toecane, French Broad, and Pisgah. The Grandfather and Toecane Ranger Districts lie in the northern mountains of NC.
Fletcher Community Park on Howard Gap Road is a sixty-acre park featuring two playgrounds, 1.5 miles of walking trails, youth soccer fields, T-ball fields, little league fields, concession stand with restrooms, picnic areas and horse-shoe area, disc golf.
The home of America's poet, Carl Sandburg, is quite a baronial estate for an old socialist. It was designated as a National Historic Site in 1968 to honor Carl Sandburg's compelling collection of stories about the American people; their plights, struggles, joys and hopes as told through Sandburg's poetry, prose, journalism and biography.
City park of 4 acres and includes an equipped playground, picnic tables, and Boy Scout cabins. There is an activity building available for public rental.
Holmes is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. With rugged terrain, numerous rock outcroppings, and scenic vistas, it also offers a rich mixture of mountain hardwoods, rhododendron, flame azaleas, and a variety of wildflowers. These features are accessible by a series of well-marked trails which are accented by exhibits and displays depicting the ecology of the managed forest.
Forest Features: Outdoor education Trails with "Talking Trees" and exhibits Picnic facilities Ranger conducted programs Group camping
City park of 19 acres, which includes baseball fields, basketball courts, racquetball courts, tennis courts, football field, two pavilions with picnic tables and grills, two gazebos, a playground, a lighted walking trail, and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
Activity Building Available for Public Rental; Shuffleboard Courts utilized by the Hendersonville Shuffleboard Club. Shuffleboard tournaments every Tuesday and Wednesday during Summer season. For more info or membership, contact (828) 692-0947
Chimney Rock Park, located 25 miles southeast of Asheville, North Carolina, offers the best of the mountains in one place--spectacular 75-mile views, hiking trails for all ages, a 404-foot waterfall, and the 315-foot Chimney Rock overlooking Lake Lure.
Hickory Creek and the Broad River carved the Hickory Nut Gorge which runs southeast from Hickory Nut Gap and drops 1,800 feet in elevation before ending at Lake Lure. Also includes Bat Cave and Chimney Rock. It is home to 13 rare animal and 34 rare plant species. To date, more than 3000 acres are under conservation protection.
The Visitor Center for the Hickory Nut Gorge Chamber of Commerce is located at 2926 Memorial Hwy, Lake Lure NC
Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles North Carolina and Tennessee. The Park preserves a rich cultural tapestry of Southern Appalachian history.
Biological diversity is the hallmark of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which encompasses over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
Weather plays an important part on whether a particular part of the Park is open to the public. Check before you travel there.
The Cradle of Forestry is a 6,500 acre historic site within the Pisgah National Forest.
The Forest Discovery Center features interactive exhibits and a movie about the creation of the school and the history of forestry conservation. The site features a museum, eight historic buildings, a restored portable saw mill and logging locomotive as well as curriculum-based program.
Plunging waterfalls, rugged river gorges, sheer rock walls and one of the greatest concentrations of rare and unique species in the eastern United States are found within Gorges State Park. An elevation that rises 2,000 feet in only four miles, combined with rainfall in excess of 80 inches per year, creates a temperate rain forest and supports a collection of waterfalls.
Park hours November-February, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. March and October, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. April, May, September, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. June-August, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed Christmas Day
Park office hours 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily Closed state holidays
DuPont Forest is made up of more than 10,000 acres of forest, trails, and waterfalls between Hendersonville and Brevard, North Carolina. Horseback riding, hiking, picnicing, mountain biking, boating and swimming available.
Rising more than a mile high, surrounded by the gentle mist of low-hanging clouds, Mount Mitchell State Park is one of these extraordinary places. In the crest of the timeworn Black Mountains lies the summit of Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi. For those who ascend this mighty peak, what looms in the horizon is a feast for the eyes—breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, rolling ridges and fertile valleys. Forested and forever misty, 1,855-acre Mount Mitchell State Park will provide you with some of the most tranquil moments you'll ever experience.
Park hours November-February, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. March and October, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. April and September, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. May-August, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed Christmas Day
Park office hours 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays Closed Christmas Day
