Linville/Grandfather Mountain: Linville Gorge Extensions Location: Burke County, NC, 14 miles northwest of Morganton, Grandfather Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest USGS Topographic Maps: Ashford, Linville Falls, Chestnut Mountain, Oak Hill Linville Gorge, sometimes referred to as the "Grand Canyon of North Carolina," is one of the most rugged and scenic areas in the east. The Linville River cuts through the gorge for 12 miles. In 1951, the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service designated the Linville Gorge a "wild area." The Wilderness Act of 1964 included Linville Gorge as one of the original components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The original size of the designated area was 7,575 acres. The North Carolina Wilderness Act of 1984 increased it to its 12,002 acres. The Linville Gorge Extensions adjoin the southern half of Linville Gorge Wilderness. Today, much of this acreage is zoned to allow for future timber cutting. Given these areas' exceptional wilderness potential, they deserve far better protection. Download this Map Linville/Grandfather Mountain: Linville Gorge Extensions 2.7 mb pdf file Approximate size: 3,464 acres Roadless acreage: 2,800 acres Old growth acreage: 134 acres The smaller of the two extensions lies on the southwest side of the Linville Gorge Wilderness, just east of the Kistler Memorial Highway. The Dobson Knob Roadless Area (and Mountain Treasure Area) is across the Kistler Memorial Highway from this Linville Gorge extension. The North Carolina Mountain-to-Sea Trail skirts the northern boundary. The larger of the two extensions is on the southeast side of the existing wilderness. It is east of Shortoff Mountain and just west of Chimney Gap. This section is inventoried roadless and contains headwater branches of Irish and Russel creeks. The Mountain-to-Sea Trail passes along the western border of this addition as well. Some of the extensive old growth found in the currently designated wilderness extends into the southwestern addition. A large designated FS Old Growth Patch centered on Linville Gorge extends into most of the southeast addition. Largest Diameter Tree of Its Kind in the Nantahala-Pisgah: * Sweet gum, 33.4 inches (Linville Gorge). The second largest sweet gum, 32.6 inches, was also found in this area. * Mockernut hickory, 33.2 inches (Linville Gorge). Pinnacle Old Growth: 130 acres Forest Communities: Dry Oak and Subxeric Pine. Unusual Plants and Animals: This is a wild turkey release area, and surveyors encountered a flock during field work. Hunters use the area. Upper Duggers Creek Old growth: Jim King, surveyor, found a patch of class A old growth forest in this watershed in the summer of 2000. Rob Messick confirmed it a year later. The old growth area has not been delineated. Forest Communities: Acidic Cove and Dry Oak (on a small knoll). Largest Diameter Tree of Its Kind in the Nantalaha-Pisgah: Mountain laurel 12.9 inches (Upper Duggers Creek). Unusual Plants and Animals Note: The following trees were found in the pocket of uncut forest: * Mountain laurel, 9.8 inches and 12.9 inches in diameter. Both these stems were hollow, and another smaller stem was present (very old coppice). The middle stem was the tallest at 22 feet. The total points on this tree came to 56. The current national champion has 81 points. Jim King found the tree. * Chestnut oak, 37.5 inches (with a broken crown) * Black gum, 24.8-36 inches" (the latter was very tall, likely over 125 feet) * Red maple, 30.4 inches * Eastern hemlock, not measured but at least 30 inches in diameter * Black birch, 21inches, with much lichen * Fraser magnolia, 17.4 inches * Sassafras, 15.8 inches, with a broken crown * Sourwood, 15.6 inches, one of three stems * Serviceberry, 12.4 inches * One anomalous yellow buckeye by the stream measured 21.2 inches * A tulip poplar near a 1938 property marker was 42.2 inches in diameter * A painted trillium was found in moist duff on a small knoll in this area. A small black ant colony was spotted in the area. White pine was present on this knoll. * Numerous bird species were heard in the pocket of uncut Acidic Cove forest. A red-breasted humming bird was spotted. Jim King made a call to a hawk and it responded.

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