Linville/Grandfather Mountain: Lost Cove Location: Avery County, NC, 5 miles southeast of Linville, Grandfather Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest USGS Topographic Maps: Chestnut Mountain, Grandfather Mountain The northwest boundaries of Lost Cove are adjacent to the Grandfather Mountain section of the Blue Ridge Parkway on it's northwest boundaries. Lost Cove lies south of Upper Wilson Creek and Harper Creek is just south of Lost Cove, separated only by a forest road. All consist of the ridges and valleys that fall some 2000 feet in elevation southeast to Wilson Creek from the Parkway. Lost Cove and Harper Creek are congressionally-designated "Wilderness Study Areas", (WSA) which means that they must be managed as wilderness pending congressional action. In the most recent Forest Plan (1994) the Forest Service recommended both for wilderness designation. Lost Cove and Harper Creek are also black bear sanctuaries. Download this Map Linville/Grandfather Mountain: Lost Cove 2.5 mb pdf file Approximate size: 5,954 acres Roadless acreage: 5,954 acres Old growth acreage: 1,098 acres The prime attractions of the areas are their streams, though there are tremendous views from Beacon Heights in the Upper Wilson Creek Area, and from Big Lost Cove Cliffs. The streams are full of falls, large and small. All are trout streams. There are pockets of old growth forest in the most inaccessible areas. The trail system is well developed and extremely popular, especially in the Lost Cove and Harper Creek WSA's, making many backpacking/camping loops possible. The Mountains-To-Sea Trail (Section 12) also runs through these areas. Geologically, Lost Cove is within the Grandfather Mountain Window, an erosion feature exposing ancient rocks where the once-overlying Blue Ridge Thrust Sheet has been eroded away. The forces of erosion have been at work here for over 300 million years, since the Appalachian Mountains were thrust up by the closing of the proto-Atlantic Ocean in the late Devonian Period. The land has never been covered by glaciers or oceans, leading to the uninterrupted evolution of the remarkable biodiversity so special to the Southern Appalachians. Forest Communities Acidic Cove, High Elevation Northern Red Oak, Mesic Oak, Submesic Oak, and Dry Oak. * A pocket of second generation Rich Cove forest (low elevation) was found on the north side of Lost Cove Creek near 2,400 feet in elevation. * Subxeric Pine is associtated with rock outcrops on Big Lost Cove Cliffs. Unusual Plants and Animals * Bunchflower, and other cove adapted herbs, were found in Mesic Oak forest in an upland cove in the Lost Cove Creek watershed. This small cove was near the Blue Ridge at 3,640 feet. * Huge walls of rosebay rhododendron were encountered in parts of the upper Lost Cove Creek watershed near the Blue Ridge. A striped reddish-orange salamander was found in Acidic Cove forest in this area. A few yellow birch trees were spotted in this community. Soils are quick draining and acidic in much of the area. * Rare mosses, and stunted pitch pine trees are present on Big Lost Cove Cliffs. * Peregrine falcons now roost on Big Lost Cove Cliffs. * A five foot long black snake was found in Submesic Oak forest in upper Lost Cove Creek. * Black bear sign was found in upper Lost Cove Creek area. * Railroads did not enter the upland section of Lost Cove Creek, though some logging did occur upstream of Sassafras Creek. Outward Bound students have spotted logging cable and the bell from a narrow gauge railroad engine near the mouth of Sassafras Creek.

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