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 16 miles of trails in the Green River Game Lands are a joint project between the Environmental and Conservation Organization (828) 692-0385) and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. For color brochure with trail info: www.eco-wnc.org/green_river_brochure.htm.
The trails are located in the Green River Game Lands, a rugged tract of more than 10,000 acres along the Green River in Henderson and Polk Counties, NC. Owned by the state, the primary purpose of NC Game Lands is wildlife conservation and management -- hunting, fishing, and trapping are allowed in Game Lands. The trails in this unique area are maintained to encourage and facilitate foot travel only.
Contact NC Wildlife Resources Commission for more information about NC Game Lands and hunting seasons. www.NCWildlife.org
Bat Cave is owned by The Nature Conservancy and a private landowner and is accessible only through the North Carolina Chapter's field trip program. For more information on these summer trips, look at the field trips page. Please note: The cave itself is closed to the public.
Hikes begin in June and are every Wednesday & Saturday until August. Call the Mountain District Office to make reservations.
The Green River Gorge, located southeast of Hendersonville contains rugged, steep ravines, coves, mixed hardwood forest, and boasts some of the most popular whitewater rapids in the Eastern United States.
The Gorge runs through the Green River Game Lands, a state-owned tract of more than 10,000 acres set aside for wildlife conservation and management. The Green River Gorge drops 400 feet in a distance of one and a half miles and runs through a six-foot wide crevice known as the Narrows.
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
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.
