Nantahala National Forest

North Carolina's largest national forest at 531,000 acres, Nantahala takes its name from the Cherokee word meaning "Land of the Noon Day Sun," describing the deep Nantahala Gorge where steep walls allow direct sunlight to reach the river only at midday. The forest protects some of the most rugged and biodiverse terrain in the Southern Appalachians, including Whitewater Falls at 411 feet -- the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains -- and the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, a magnificent 3,800-acre stand of virgin old-growth hardwoods with tulip poplars exceeding 100 feet tall and 20 feet in circumference. World-class whitewater on the Nantahala River draws hundreds of thousands of rafters, kayakers, and canoeists each year to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, making it one of the most popular paddling destinations in the eastern United States. The Appalachian Trail traverses the forest's highest ridges, passing through the Standing Indian Basin and over 5,000-foot peaks draped in dense rhododendron and flame azalea that bloom spectacularly in late spring. The forest's streams harbor native brook trout, and its high-elevation cove forests support one of the greatest diversities of salamander species found anywhere on Earth, earning the Southern Appalachians the title of "Salamander Capital of the World." Wayah Bald and Wesser Bald fire towers offer panoramic views of wave after wave of ancient blue-green mountains stretching to the horizon.