Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest – North Carolina

6/6/19 Sherri, Mary and me

We are staying at a great campground in Cherokee. After setting up we drove and hour and a half to this forest. It is part of the Slick Rock Wilderness adjacent to the Nantahala National Forest. When we arrived there was only one small group of people there and we never saw them again.

This place has just 2 miles of trails in a figure 8 pattern. It is basically and old growth forest. It is named after the lady who wrote the poem “Trees” in 1913.

It was a lush and green Forest. This trees were so amazing. Some are 400 years old and more than 100 feet tall and as much as 20 foot around. Can you imagine? 400 years old?

We stretched hand to hand around one tree and it would take 4 people to go around it.

There were plenty of them along a beautiful pathway. The largest are Yellow Poplar trees. They also have a large number of Sycamore, Beech, and Oak Trees as well as many more.

We didn’t see any signs of animals but the birds were very vocal. Which made this hike even better.

it was an amazing 2 miles. These trees were so big. We couldn’t get enough. The trails were beautiful.

Perspective below!

These one really give some perspective. Look closely and see my head between them.

There were lots of wildflowers a bridge crossing and then it was over. I read that it is 3800 acres. There are only a handful of old growth forests left. This one is well worth the visit.