Nantahala National Forest

A white-water river in the Nantahala National Forest.

The Nantahala covers 515,000 acres of land and water in southwestern North Carolina.

The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, spectacular waterfalls, the second-largest yellow poplar tree in the United States and an outstanding display of azaleas are all part of Nantahala National Forest.

The Appalachian Trail winds through the Nantahala forest. Hikers do not need permits to use the trail on national forest lands.

The Whiteside Mountain Trail, a national recreation trail, takes visitors to the top of the mountain named for its white granite face. The mountain has magnificent sheer cliffs up to 750 feet in height.

Waterfalls include Dry Falls on the Cullasaja River, where visitors can walk behind the torrent of water plunging over a rock shelf, and Whitewater Falls, which drop more than 400 feet in a series of cascades.

Mountain biking and beaches are found only in the Cheoah Ranger District.