Taken from a 1993 Forest Service map of bear habitat, shown in green. The orange line is the area proposed for protection in The Wilderness Society's "NC Mountain Treasures. Dark gray shows private land. Major trails are shown as dashed lines.

 

Location: Transylvania County, S of Shining Rock, just S of Blue Ridge Parkway.  W edge borders Devil's Courthouse area on Parkway and US 215.

Access:  From US 276 N of Brevard, drive into Pisgah Forest to Fish Hatchery Road (FS 475).  Follow W for about 4-5 miles and park at Daniel Ridge Creek/Farlow Gap trailhead (W of Cove Creek Group Camp entrance).  Walk FS Road 137 about .5 mile to the actual trailhead to access the SE portion of the wild area.  Alternatively, access the Art Loeb Trail (FS 146) at Silvermine Bald on the Blue Ridge Parkway just E of Devil's Courthouse to reach the NW portion of the wild area.  FS Trail 128, starting at Devil's Courthouse, crosses the extreme W end of the wild area on its way down to Courthouse Falls.  Art Loeb Trail across the wild area can also be accessed via FS Road 229 from Gloucester Gap (at the W end of the Fish Hatchery Road) NW toward Pilot Mt. and Deep Gap.

USGS Topographic Quadrangles:  Shining Rock, Sam Knob.  See the Forest Service's 1995 Pisgah Ranger District Trail Map.  Also see the newer Trails Illustrated Map of the Pisgah Ranger District.

Features/Description/Potential:
    From the Blue Ridge Parkway on the north at 5000 to 5800 ft elevation, the Wild Area consists of big ridges and valleys that fall southward to the E/W running headwaters valley of the Davidson River at 2600 ft.  From US215 and Tanasee Ridge on the west, there is Mill Station Creek, Brushy Ridge, Courthouse Creek, Courthouse Ridge, Chestnut Creek, Chestnut Ridge, Kiesee Creek, Shuck Ridge (which forks south to Sassafras Knob, Farlow Gap and Pilot Mountain), Shuck Ridge Creek, Daniel Ridge, Daniel Ridge Creek, Fork River Ridge, Right Fork and Lanning Brook, to Lanning Ridge on the east.
    Courthouse Falls at the end of FS Road 140 on Courthouse Creek near junction with Coalney Creek is a spectacular and popular place.  Devil's Courthouse, where the endangered peregrine falcon nests, is a major scenic attraction on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and overlooks the Wild Area to the south.  The very uncommon saw whet owl is found at the Devil's Courthouse area in spring and summer.  There are good views from Pilot Mountain, though its old firetower is now gone.
    According to John Parris, legendary writer of mountain traditions and history for the Asheville Citizen-Times, Pilot Mountain with its distinctive shape was known to the Cherokee as "Tsuwatelda", where the "Nunnehi" have one of their largest towns, a green, tranquil place where the war whoop is never heard and peace is everlasting.  Nunnehi are a mythical people who live in secret towns far below the ground.  It was here to this sanctuary of the Nunnehi that legend says the people of Kanasta, the lost settlement of the Cherokee, migrated some 200 years ago and became lost to history.
    The Mtns to the Sea Trail and the Art Loeb National Recreation Trail (FS 146) cross  N/S across the W end of the wild area over Pilot Mountain and through Farlow Gap to the Parkway and on to Shining Rock Wilderness. The popular Farlow Gap hiking trail (FS 106) crosses S end E/W.  Daniel Ridge trail (FS 330) from parking area on Fish Hatchery Road (FS 475) up Right Fork of Daniel Ridge Creek climbs 1000 ft. past abandoned fish rearing ponds and up through very good wildflower areas and fairly big (to 18"dia.) trees, mostly poplar, to intersection with Farlow Gap Trail.  The Farlow Gap Trail is mostly on old railroad grade, easy walking.  There are good camp spots near Daniel Ridge Creek near the trailhead, and also where the Daniel Ridge Trail starts from Fish Hatchery Road.  There are good spots  where the Farlow Gap Trail crosses Daniel Ridge Creek.
    FS reports 100+ yr stands from Courthouse Ridge at Devil's Courthouse to US 215, as well as from the Parkway SE on Daniel Ridge.
    A major value is that this area serves as an extension to the Shining Rock and Middle Prong areas, separated only by the Parkway.

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