Brasstown NC lies on the far western tip of the North Carolina Blue
Ridge Mountains on the border of Cherokee and Clay Counties between
Murphy and Hayesville North Carolina. About 15 minutes to the South
lie the Northwest Georgia towns of Blairsville and Blue Ridge. This
NC mountain land is composed of fertile valleys, high mountain ranges
and clear rushing streams defined by the Unicoi and Snowbird Mountains
to the North, the Cheoah Mountains to the East, the Valley River
Mountains to the Northeast, and the Blue Ridge Mountain land to the
South including North Georgia's memorable Brasstown Bald. With some of
the highest peaks in the Eastern United States, Western North Carolina's
section of the Blue Ridge Mountains offers inspiring views and endless
outdoor activities. Begin with America's most visited National Park,
the Great Smoky Mountains, add two National Forests, Nantahala and
Pisgah, and you will find everything from climbing to hiking to rafting
to mountain biking. If you are seeking something more leisurely, the
Western North Carolina Mountains boast the incomparable NC Blue Ridge
Parkway which winds through 250 breathtaking miles of North Carolina
Mountain vistas. But even the length of the Parkway doesn't cover the
full extent of NC's Blue Ridge Mountain experience. In the Western
corner of NC in Cherokee and Clay counties, gem mines & water falls make
for fun filled day adventures. Cherokee county consists of over
100,000 acres of national forest and the Ocoee River to the west has
world class rafting and kayaking and was the site of competitions in the
1996 Olympic Games. Lake Hiwassee boasts first class fishing and
boating and is one of the most pristine and natural lakes in the Western
North Carolina Mountains as it is almost entirely surrounded by Forest
Service lands.
The Unicoi and Snowbird Mountains define the region with their
towering presence. This mountainous land is the back door to the Blue
Ridge Smoky Mountains including a very old trade route used by the
Cherokee Indians. For centuries, native americans used a footpath in
the Western North Carolina Mountains to travel through the Appalachian
range passing through Murphy NC. The route stretched across the width
of the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains from South Carolina to the
Tennessee Valley and dipped down to the mountain lands of Northwest
Georgia. The Unicoi Mountains of NC stretch between the Little
Tennessee River and the Hiwassee River. Most of the mountain range is
protected as national forest including the Cherokee and Nantahala
National Forests on the Western North Carolina border with Tennessee.
The Unicoi Blue Ridge Mountains remain one of the less developed areas
in the Eastern United States. The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is home
to one of the last remaining old growth cove hardwood forests in Western
North Carolina and the entire United States. The oldest trees in the
forest are over 400 years old. The name "Unicoi" comes from the
Cherokee word "Unega" which means white. It refers to the low lying
clouds and fog that often drape the Southern Appalachian Mountains in
the morning.
