DuPont State Forest
DuPont State Recreational Forest | |
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IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) | |
Location | Henderson & Transylvania, North Carolina, United States |
Coordinates | 35°11′49.28″N 82°35′39.5″W / 35.1970222°N 82.594306°W |
Area | 10,473 acres (42.38 km2)[1] |
Established | 1997[2] |
Named for | DuPont |
Visitors | 350,000[1] |
Governing body | North Carolina Forest Service |
Website | DuPont State Recreational Forest |
DuPont State Recreational Forest, commonly known as DuPont Forest, is a 10,473-acre (42.38 km2)[1][3] state forest, located in Henderson and Transylvania counties of North Carolina. The name originates from the fact that the DuPont company arranged the sale of the original tract to the state.[2] Adjacent tracts have since been purchased and added to the state forest. Portions of the forest formerly contained a manufacturing facility for the production of X-ray film.[2] The forest was used to shoot scenes from the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans as well as the 2012 box office hit The Hunger Games.[4][5] On February 12, 2019, the forest added 402 acres (1.63 km2) from Conserving Carolina, part of a section called the Continental Divide Tract that connects with other public lands. 314 more acres will be added to the forest by the end of 2019.[6]
Recreation
Nearly 83 miles (134 km) of multi-use trails and roads thread through the forest.[1] The forest is widely used for many recreational activities, including mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, swimming (where permitted), wading, and kayaking. Destinations include mountaintop views (such as from the summit of Stone Mountain, and Cedar Rock), lakes (such as Lake Imaging, Lake Julia, Lake Dense, and Fawn Lake), and waterfalls, including:
- Bridal Veil Falls
- Grassy Creek Falls
- High Falls
- Hooker Falls
- Triple Falls
- Wintergreen Falls
Popular mountain biking trails include Ridgeline, Big Rock, Cedar Rock, and Airstrip trails. The Airstrip trail starts from near a small unused (or emergency use) airplane landing area. The Ridgeline trail is particularly noted for its long continuous, winding and uninterrupted run, with a mild downhill grade.[7]
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View from "Big Rock"
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Near Cedar Rock summit (elevation 3074 feet),[8] at intersection of Cedar Rock and Big Rock trails
See also
- Pisgah National Forest (also popular in western North Carolina for hiking and mountain biking)
- Holmes Educational State Forest (Managed by DuPont State Recreational Forest[1])
References
- ^ a b c d e "DuPont State Recreational Forest Fiscal Year 2014 Legislative Report" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. October 1, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c Alexia Jones Helsley; George Alexander Jones (2007). A Guide to Historic Henderson County, North Carolina. The History Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-59629-275-8.
- ^ "NC Forest Service Natural Assets" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. January 23, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- ^ "DuPont State Forest - Bridal Veil Falls". Friends of DuPont Forest. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
- ^ "The Hunger Games: Filmed in Henderson County's Dupont State Recreational Forest". Henderson County Travel & Tourism. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
- ^ "402 acres added to DuPont State Recreational Forest along Eastern Continental Divide". Asheville Citizen-Times. February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ "» Mountain Bike DuPont Forest, trail guide Visit Brevard NC". brevardnc.com.
- ^ Trail Guide, DuPont State Forest Recreational Forest, 3rd edition. Pisgah Map Company, 2015. ISBN 978-0-9857133-0-0.
External links
- IUCN Category VI
- DuPont State Forest
- North Carolina state forests
- State forests of the Appalachians
- Protected areas of Henderson County, North Carolina
- Protected areas of Transylvania County, North Carolina
- Mountain biking in the United States
- Protected areas established in 1997
- 1997 establishments in North Carolina
- Western North Carolina geography stubs