Lake Lure and More at Hickory Nut Gorge in November – A Photo Essay

Every year in early November I like to visit the Hickory Nut Gorge. It is on the eastern slope of the Continental Divide, and so a good thousand feet lower than most of the valleys in Western North Carolina. As such, the area is one of the last to experience glorious fall colors. You can count on the peak being somewhere between the 1st and the 14th. I made two trips...

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Meet the new Chimney Rock State Park

Amid the 100th anniversary celebration of the private park established by the Morse Family in 1916, along with the centennial of the North Carolina State Park System, it’s fitting that the park and its visitors are growing and stretching into a new century with new ideas and new outdoor activities. James Ledgerwood, Chimney Rock State Park superintendent since 2011, and...

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