This is where the trail splits with the right fork going straight up the mountain and the left fork taking a gradual climb around the back to Devils Courthouse.įrom the trailhead, a short stairway leads up to a steep spur trail that connects visitors to the main 2.0 mile loop. If you don’t have a map of the trail, stop by the kiosk and take a photo of the map provided here. Just remember to leave the tag on your cars dash before you venture off on your hike. There is a small day use fee of $3 which can easily be paid for electronically. The Whiteside Mountain Recreation Area features a large parking lot with vault toilets and a picnic area. ![]() The aptly named Whiteside Mountain Rd takes visitors through one of the areas most prestigious private neighborhoods, Wildcat Cliffs, before veering off into the trailhead parking lot 400 ft below the mountain summit. Route 64 from Cashiers to the Whiteside Mountain trailhead, one gets their first glance of this mountains massive cliffs from a popular roadside pull-off named, the Big View Scenic Overlook. Trailhead at Whiteside Mountain Scenic Area.ĭriving along U.S. While most of my time in the Cashiers area has been spent chasing waterfalls like Whitewater Falls, Silver Run Falls, Glen Falls and exploring the waterfalls of NC-281, I had to specifically plan a stop at Whiteside Mountain to see these 700 ft tall cliffs for myself. This mountains iconic cliffs, which are the tallest in Eastern North America, have an unmistakable sheen that make them appear to be covered in sheets of ice and stand out amidst the vibrant greens of the surrounding valley. Drawing in thousands of tourists for about a half-hour toward sunset in mid-October, a small shadow is cast toward the valley below the southern slope, slowly growing into what appears to be the shadow of a huge bear on the lower reaches of Whiteside Mountain. If you’re visiting the Highlands and Cashiers Area of Western North Carolina, chances are you’ve seen or at least heard of Whiteside Mountain and “The Shadow of the Bear”. Whiteside Mountain Trailhead Location | Google MapsĪpproximate path of Whiteside Mountain trail near Highlands, NC using Gaia App. The area boasts a 2.0 mile family friendly trail that ascends the mountains peak and loops around to a dozen stunning overlooks of the surrounding region with views as far south as Georgia and South Carolina. Becoming a part of the Nantahala National Forest in the 1970’s, the mountain is surrounded by a handful of unique ecosystems brimming with rare and endangered plants that put on a spectacular wildflower display each spring. Prominently featured in the Cherokee “Legend of the Spear Finger” and home to “The Shadow of the Bear”, the mountain has long been a popular tourist attraction dating back to the 1800’s. ![]() Rising to an elevation of 4,930 ft in the Highlands and Cashiers area of Western North Carolina, Whiteside Mountain is a notable peak along the Eastern Continental Divide.
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