Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina

For its natural breathtaking beauty viewed from the French Broad River basin, Mount Pisgah is believed to have been named after a biblical name of a mountain by a Reverend James Hall who used to accompany General Rutherford in expeditions back in 1776. Mt. Pisgah dominates the Pisgah National Forest and the Pisgah Ranger District.

The Pisgah National Forest is an area of about half a million acres surrounding Mt. Pisgah. The mountain peak is 5,000 foot high and is located at the Blue Ridge Parkway, milepost 407, lining Asheville, North Carolina. It is the first National Forest in the eastern United States in 1916 and probably, one of the accessible ways to some of the Blue Ridge Mountains’ scenic views and excellent recreational activities. Its beginnings come from George Vanderbilt’s environmental knack for beauty. He managed his property’s exterior by choosing to grow his estate converging the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers in western North Carolina. When he added a 125,000 acre to his estate, he had acquired a vast portion of the Mt. Pisgah. To the west of Biltmore Estate, you may find the mountain towering the Pisgah Ledge, which is directly parallel to the French Broad River.

Amongst the natural attractions that you can find within the Pisgah National Forest are: The Cradle of Forestry America’s first school of forestry; Mount Hardy – surrounded by a wilderness area with a 6,110 peak; Pink Beds – a forested area famous for its abundant laurel and rhododendron blooms; Roan Mountain – a 5-mile ridge with an astonishing exhibit of rhododendron blooms; Looking Glass Rock – an amazing landmark known to rock climbers and hikers; and the Linville Gorge and Falls – the deepest gorge in the eastern United States. Every daring hiker would dream of treading through a 400-mile trail found anywhere in the wilderness of Pisgah National Forest. Recreational activities are attractive menus varying every season.

There are self-guided interpretative tours, overnight hikes, backpacking trips, and horseback riding. In summer, fishing, boating, whitewater sports, rock climbing, and mountain biking are items to consider in your activity check-list. An extension of that delight is a comfortable camping site at the national forest itself, packaged with complete facilities and reliable service. In the fall, leaves that transform into different shades are visuals not affordable to miss. In winter, the slopes covered with white flakes of snow is a journey to a dreamy haven thought to be found only in the movies. Honestly, are there any answers to why should you come by? Pisgah National Forest is a dimension of combined 4 elements in itself – air, water, earth, fire. Nothing less. All are addressed.