Blue Ridge Escarpment: Terrapin Mountain Location: Jackson and Macon counties, North Carolina, 5 miles east of Highlands, Highlands Ranger District Nantahala National Forest USGS Topographic Maps: Cashiers, Highlands This rock-sided haystack is one of the most prominent features of the area between the resort towns of Highlands and Cashiers, NN. Precipitous rock faces rising 500 to 800 feet encompass both the south and west sides of Terrapin. Fowler Creek has its origin in the southeast part of this area. Its headwaters gather in a U-shaped cirque of rock cliffs, difficult of access, and isolated and remote in feeling. Download this Map Blue Ridge Escarpment: Terrapin Mountain 2.4 mb pdf file Approximate size: 6,648 acres Old growth acreage: 410 acres The Chattooga Wild and Scenic River flows along the western boundary of this Treasure. From the top of the western cliffs of Terrapin, the visitor has a direct and unimpeded view of Whiteside Mountain, looking directly across the river valley and the vale of Grimshawes. To the north is Little Terrapin, which repeats the cliffs of the main peak. If anything, Little Terrapin is steeper, and demands considerable technical ability from climbers. To the northwest is Bear Pen Mountain. The rounded top of this high point is clothed in old growth hardwood forest. The bear pen, if it ever existed, has been reclaimed by nature. There are no trails in the Terrapin Mountain Treasure. The hiker here needs to have either local knowledge, or a fine-tuned ability to navigate by map. An old logging road gets one near the base of Bear Pen Mountain. Forest Communities Submesic Oak, Dry Oak, and Subxeric Oak. Rock Cliffs and talus slopes are present on Bearpen Mountain. Mossy seeps were also present. A small patch of Hemlock Forest was found on the north side of Bearpen Mountain. Largest Diameter Tree of Its Kind in the Nantahala-Pisgah: * Sweetleaf, 6.3 inches (Bearpen Mountain) Unusual Plants: * A living 19-nch diameter American chestnut tree has been found on Heady Mountain (Bob Zahner). * Fringetree and serviceberry were found amid steep rock faces associated with Bearpen Mountain, and white ash and black cherry tree in seepages between rock faces in this area. As described by Paul Carlson, this community Montane Mafic Cliff. It is similar to that found on Doubletop Mountain by Kevin Caldwell and Paul Myers in the Barkers Creek extension. * Talus slope conditions associated with Bearpen Mountain may support uncommon or rare plant species. Whiteside Mountain (near Highlands), Chimney Rock Park (in Rutherford County), and many other granitic domes in the southern Blue Ridge have similar conditions. * Cliff environments along the Chattooga River in this area could support uncommon or rare herb and shrub species (consult Dan Pittillo).

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