This photo in Panthertown National Forest shows the white area left when a huge slab of rock spontaneously sheared off in the summer of 2021. The photo was taken from a distant overlook; the white area was described as being larger than a school bus.
Panthertown National Forest was established in 1989. There are two trail heads; Salt Rock at the end of Breedlove Road (follow the dirt road) & Cold Mountain off highway 281.
"Panthertown is part of the Roy Taylor National Forest within the Nantahala National Forest. Panthertown Valley has changed “ownership” many times throughout its history. The valley was logged in the 1920s and 1930s by the Moltz Lumber Company, and was then sold in the 1960s to Liberty Properties who had plans to convert the valley into a resort. The Blue Ridge Parkway also had plans for a route through the valley. When those plans fell through, Duke Power Company purchased the land in order to construct a large electrical transmission line spanning the valley’s width. In 1989, the North Carolina Chapter of the Nature Conservancy purchased all but Duke’s right-of-way for $8 million as an addition to Nantahala National Forest. Today Panthertown is managed by the U.S. Forest Service with funding and volunteers provided by Friends of Panthertown." From https://panthertown.org/panthertown-valley/, viewed 7.23.2023
Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Panthertown is a place for hiking, camping, and biking and horseback riding on specified trails. It's an extremely good idea to have a map or a photo of a map from the trailhead kiosks before beginning a hike. This is a national forest, not a park, so trails are not marked with blazes, and watching for other signage is imperative. Campers are required to use bear canisters for food storage. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recreation/recarea/?recid=48686
Practice the Leave No Trace principles: plan ahead & prepare; be considerate of others; leave the things you find where they are; travel & camp on durable surfaces (stay on the trails); throw away trash responsibly (take it with you); minimize campfire impact; & respect wildlife.
This is the site for the Friends of Panthertown, and it has LOADS of information. https://panthertown.org/ An interactive map is on the site and downloading it, or having a paper map is an excellent idea. Volunteers for maintaining trails are welcome; events are on the site's home page. It has a Facebook page, too.
Photos on this page by Martha Dobson
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