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Location: Henderson and Transylvania counties, NC, 20 miles southwest of Asheville, Pisgah Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest
USGS Topographic Maps: Dunsmore Mountain
The Laurel Mountain Roadless Area on the north is separated from the Pink Beds and South Mills River on the south only by the Yellow Gap Road, a dirt road connecting U.S. Highway 276 on the west to the North Mills River Recreation Area on the east. There is an extensive trail system, including part of the Mountains-To-Sea Trail, much used by hikers, campers, mountain bikers, horse riders, and hunters.
Historically it is of interest because it was once part of the Biltmore Forest, owned by George Vanderbilt in 1900. It is also where Gifford Pinchot, who went on to found the U.S. Forest Service, established the first forestry school in the U.S. Visitors can still see the remnants of Pinchot's first management experiments along Big Creek in the Laurel Mountain Area.
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Approximate size:
13,368 acres
Roadless acreage:
5,683 acres
Old growth acreage:
245 acres |
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Forest Communities:
Near Pisgah Ridge (Shut-in Trail): Northern Hardwood, Rich Cove Boulderfield, High Elevation Northern Red Oak, Dry Oak, Subxeric Oak, and Pine-Oak Heath. Wet Rock cliff areas were found at the top of the Horse Cove valley slope.
Bee Branch: Northern Hardwood (some with boulder fields), High Elevation Northern Red Oak, Submesic Oak, Dry Oak, and Oak Heath.
Note: this listing reflects a limited number of trips into the Laurel Mountain area. It does not likely contain the full range of forest communities found there.
Largest Diameter Tree of Its Kind in the Nantahala-Pisgah:
*Rosebay rhododendron 11 inches (Slate Rock Creek)
Unusual Plants and Animals:
* Dr. Roger Powell (professor of Zoology) has conducted black bear studies in the Pisgah District for over 10 years. He found that parts of the upper North Mills River watershed have high quality black bear habitat.
* An unusual salamander with a brown leaf-shaped back, black sides, and a prominent dot on the back of its head was found in the middle fork of Upper Bee Branch (8/15/01). |
