House At Whispering Water, Hot Springs, NC

This Cape Cod beauty sits in a wonderful setting above a bold creek in the mountains of Spring Creek.

It’s perfect for a family, or one/two couples, with a comfortable yet cozy capacity of eight.

Find every comfort of home, and more. The interior is light, airy and tastefully decorated: with a wood stove fireplace for warming in the cooler months and AC when it’s warm.

Enjoy a beautiful country drive to Hot Springs or Asheville for dining shopping and recreation then return to this cozy retreat where all you can hear are the gently rustling leaves and whispering creek water.

This one books quickly, so plan ahead!

House at Whispering Water

936 Rock House Rd.

Hot Springs, NC 28743

Visit their great brand new website at http://www.houseatwhisperingwater.com

Email for Reservations: Houseatwhisperingwater@gmail.com

Huck Finn Rafting Offers Coupon

Whether you're a couple, a scout troop, or a church group, Huck Finn Rafting, located on Bridge Street in Hot Springs is a great choice to show you the ways of the mighty French Broad River. I have personally traveled down the river with owner Heath White and he knows his stuff.

Download Coupon Here.

Fowler Farms Sporting Clays

Clay target shooting is the newest and fastest growing shotgun sport in the USA. The course and shots are designed to simulate challenging shots encountered during hunting. Some call it "golf with a shotgun."

This shooting game doesn't require a special shotgun. A familiar "field gun" is actually preferred by most shooters, because the angle of targets is designed to imitate the flight of upland game birds or waterfowl.

Fowler Farms Sporting Clays and Game Preserve opened in July 2004, and is located in the Spring Creek Community of Madison County, Scenic Highway NC 209. We are 10 miles South of Hot Springs, 22 miles North of Insterstate 40- Exit 24, and 37 miles from Weaverville NC 19-23 (Future I-26) to NC 25-70 and then NC 209 South.

Visit the Website.

Changes in Hot Springs

The Rock Bottom Sports Grill and Inn has opened in the former site of the Bridge Street Inn. Rooms are $50 for hikers, and hikers get a 10% discount on food (not alcohol, per state law). Entrees are $10-19, and sandwiches run $4-11. Open 7 days, 11-10, with bar menu available until 12.

The Iron Horse Station is in the site of the former Brightleaf Junction Hotel. Rooms carry a hiker rate of $50 in March and April. Regular rates are $80-150. The restaurant serves meals from about $8-22, with a blue plate special every day for about $10.

A new restaurant/bar named Scooter's is planned on the former site of Paddlers' Pub.

Best Place to Stay In Town

The House on Strawberry Hill within the city limits of small and picturesque Hot Springs, North Carolina offers the natural beauty of a mountain getaway with the convenience and adventure of in-town living.

Visit their site and book an exciting getaway with your loved one. http://www.hotspringsnchouse.com.

Lover's Leap Makes For A Great Hike

Start from the center of downtown Hot Springs for this one. The hike is 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on how much time you take to enjoy the views, wild flowers, rhododendron and scenery. Individuals in moderate physical condition can enjoy this hike. Be sure to wear walking/running shoes or hiking boots. Stop at Bluff Mountain Outfitters, the Forest Service Office in the middle of town or the Red Caboose Welcome Center for a map and directions.

From town you walk north on Bridge Street and cross the bridge over the French Broad River. You are actually walking on the Appalachian Trail at this point as it runs right through town. The AT is marked with white blazes. Stay on the right side of the bridge and immediately after crossing the bridge there will be a guard rail with a path on the other side. Step over the guard rail and follow the path to the street below. Follow the street up river about 50 yards until you cross a wooden bridge.

Continue on along the river and you will see white blazes marking the Appalachian Trail every 100 feet or so. After a few hundred yards, just beyond Surprise Falls, the trail goes away from the river and does a number of switch-backs upward. The trail is well marked and well established.

There are two large rock promontories along the way with great views of the river, the valley and town. Lover's Leap is the first rock outcropping. At the 2nd one there will be a sign that says Silvermine Trailhead and points down or Appalachian Trail pointing up. Take the Silvermine Trailhead trail down through the rhododendron forest. After about 10-15 minutes you will see a campsite to your left and set of steps built into the hill going to the left. Take a left going down the steps. This will take you to Silvermine Trailhead and Silvermine Road.

Follow Silvermine Road about 150 yards downhill until you arrive back at the wood bridge and street you were on before. Walk up the road, up the bank to Bridge Street, over the guard rail, retracing your route to town.

Max Patch Hike Renews the Spirit

Hike a section of the famous Appalachian National Scenic Trail (or A.T.) on top of Max Patch Mountain near Hot Springs. This 4,600-foot mountain was cleared and used as pasture in the 1800s. Today, it's a 350-acre tract of open land on a high knob with 360-degree views. On a clear day, you can see from Mt. Mitchell on the east to the Great Smoky Mountains on the south. What a picnic spot! And great for star gazing and enjoying wildflowers. The summit is a short walk from the parking lot. Max Patch is part of the Pisgah National Forest.

Two easy loop trails lead you to, and around, the summit. The 1.4-mile short loop crosses the summit. The 2.4 mile loop circles the mountain for outstanding views from all the sides. From the parking lot, follow the marked trail to the left. You will ascend through a forest and then reach the top for amazing views. The rest of the hike is on the grassy bald. You can also hike north or south on the Appalachian Trail for as far as you want.

The Great Smoky Mountains, only 20 miles away, dominate the southwest horizon. To the west the terrain drops over 3600 feet into the flatlands of eastern Tennessee. To the west, 50 miles distant, rises the dark ridgeline of the Black Mountains. Endless ridges and peaks fill in the panorama everywhere else.

Take along a jacket, since it's usually at least 10 degrees cooler on Max Patch than in Asheville. And it's usually breezy.

Directions from Asheville: Take I-40 West to exit 7 (Harmon's Den). Take a right on Cold Springs Road, and the road almost immediately becomes gravel. This usually well-graded road climbs steadily but never steeply 6.2 miles to SR-1182 (Max Patch Rd). Turn left and drive 1.5 miles to the Max Patch parking area on the right. Allow an hour to drive.

Directions from Hot Springs: From downtown Hot Springs, follow Highway 209 (7.3 miles) to Meadow Fork Road (State Road 1175). Go 5.3 miles to State Road 1181. Follow 1181 for 2 miles (turns into gravel). At the top of the mountain, turn right onto State Road 1182 and Max Patch parking is 3 miles.

Learn More About the Pisgah National Forest

The half million acres of the Pisgah National Forest surrounding Asheville features some of the most beautiful and rugged mountain scenery, and the best recreational opportunities in eastern North America. The Pisgah National Forest is a large forest that covers much of the north and central western mountains of NC. It is broken up into four Ranger Districts.

The Pisgah Ranger District is dominated by Mt. Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Parkway and extends on both sides of the Parkway. It is located roughly between the towns of Brevard, Waynesville and Asheville, NC. This area is especially noted for easy access to many beautiful waterfalls, wonderful hiking and camping opportunities, the Cradle of Forestry, and more. The district also includes the Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness areas. See hikes for Looking Glass Rock, Black Balsam, Sliding Rock, Mt. Pisgah, Devil's Courthouse and the NC Arboretum.

Pisgah Ranger District
1001 Pisgah Highway
Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
(828) 877-3265

Directions: On US 276, north of Brevard.
The Appalachian/French Broad Ranger District lies along the North Carolina / Tennessee border, northeast of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Among the highlights of this region are the Harmon Den area - a mecca for horseback riders, Max Patch mountain - offering stunning panoramic views, the French Broad River and the Appalachian Trail.

Appalachian/French Broad Ranger District
P.O. Box 128
Hot Springs, NC 28743
(828) 622-3202

Directions: On US 25/70 in Hot Springs
The Grandfather Ranger District lies southeast of the Blue Ridge Parkway from north of Asheville to Blowing Rock, NC. Linville Gorge is the predominant feature of the area with very rugged terrain to challenge even experienced hikers. There are also easier trails. Other significant features include the Wilson Creek area, which is highly favored among kayakers and the Brown Mountain Off-Road Vehicle area. The Point Lookout Trail opened in 2008 for bikers. Great trails near Linville Falls include Beacon Heights, Rough Ridge, and Chestoa View.

Grandfather Ranger District
Route 1, Box 110-A
Nebo, NC 28761
(828) 652-2144

Directions:
Exit 90 off I-40 at Nebo/Lake James exit. About 9 miles east of Marion.
The Appalachian/Toecane Ranger District lies northwest of the Blue Ridge Parkway from north of Asheville to Blowing Rock and to the Tennessee state line. This area contains some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the east including important wildflower habitats at Craggy Gardens and Roan Mountain. Also included in this district are Mt. Mitchell - highest point in eastern America and Grandfather Mountain - an international biosphere preserve, although neither of these are actually National Forest property. The peak of Mt. Mitchell and neighboring Mt. Craig is a North Carolina State Park. Grandfather Mountain is privately owned, but open to the public with an admission charge.

Appalachian/Toecane Ranger District
P.O. Box 128
Burnsville, NC 28714
(828) 682-6146

Directions:
On US 19-E bypass in Burnsville.

Camping
The Pisgah National Forest offers full-featured campgrounds as well as primitive and group campgrounds. Download a PDF of National Forest Service mountain camping near Asheville. See our Camping Guide.

Dogs
Dogs are allowed on a leash on all trails. Also see Pet Friendly Asheville.

History
The beginnings of the Pisgah National Forest occurred when George Vanderbilt, the grandson of railroad baron, Cornelius Vanderbilt, assembled property around his growing estate at the confluence of the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers in western North Carolina. As he added to his 125,000 acre estate, one of the acquisitions included Mt. Pisgah. The mountain dominates the Pisgah Ledge, which parallels the French Broad River west of the Biltmore Estate. West of Biltmore, thousands of acres of his "Pisgah Forest" were managed for the production of timber, water, and other natural resources. These lands were managed first by Gifford Pinchot, forester, conservationist, and first Chief of the Forest Service; and later by Dr. Carl Alwin Schenck, a German forester hired by Vanderbilt on Pinchot's recommendation. The area was sold after Vanderbilt's death in 1914 to the U.S. Government and became one of the first tracts of the Pisgah National Forest. Purchase of land to become National Forest was possible because farsighted North Carolina law makers passed state legislation and supported the passage in the Federal Congress of the 1911 Weeks Act. The first tract of land purchased under the Weeks Act for the Pisgah National Forest was in McDowell County. The process initiated here also began the establishment of all other National Forests east of the Mississippi. This 8,100-acre tract on Curtis Creek can be reached on Forest Service Road #482 which goes north off U.S. Highway 70, 2 miles northeast of Old Fort. The tract is appropriately signed and identified. From these first purchases, including the Pisgah Forest tract purchased in 1917 from Vanderbilt's widow, grew the half million acre Pisgah National Forest. It, along with the Nantahala National Forest, makes up a significant portion of the remaining forested land in western North Carolina.