Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2020 - 30

Some of Oconee
State Park's cabins
date to the Civilian
Conservation Corps era
of the 1930s.

FOREST FANATIC
Wild places are the heart of the Blue Ridge
region. The network of national parks and
wildlife reserves that protect the spine of
our mountain range form a huge wilderness
unparalleled in the eastern half of the country, and hundreds of parks, nature preserves
and little-known fishing holes speckle the
rest of the region.
Forest Fanatics are the hikers, the birders,
the paddlers and the adventurers. Whether
pushing on to the next campsite or tucking
into a feast of foraged greens and wild
game, Forest Fanatics are always charting
the next adventure, planning the next outing, updating their life list, or scouting out a
new patch of unspoiled wilderness.

Where to Stay?

Some Forest Fanatics are at home just about
anywhere they can breathe crisp mountain
air. A backcountry campsite in West Virginia's
Monongahela National Forest? You bet. An RV
parked under the stars at Virginia's Shenandoah National Park? Perfect. (Even better, seniors are eligible for a 50% discount on their
camping fee.)
For one of the region's most distinctive
outdoor experiences, spend a few nights in a
rough-hewn log cabin at Tennessee's LeConte Lodge, a rustic resort in the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park. Accessible only by
foot, the Lodge offers comfortable accommodations in a scenic glade situated just below
the peak of Mt. LeConte, the third-highest
peak in the Park.

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Two more to consider:

Oconee State Park, South Carolina. Six of the
park's 19 cabins are in a secluded wooded
area, with easy access to the 2.3-mile Oconee
Trail.
An Appalachian Trail shelter in Georgia,
Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia/West Virginia. Consult trail guides for each state to
explore an overnight or loop along the Great
Trail; shelters are generally about a day's
hike apart.

What to do?

With thousands of miles of hiking trails and
world-renowned whitewater rapids, the Blue
Ridge region is an international outdoor destination. Here are three activities that can fill an
easy afternoon or become life-long obsessions.
Go on a caving expedition to see a different side of familiar landscapes. Visitors have
been marveling at the mineral formations
(and sheer size) of Grand Caverns in Grottoes,
Virginia, for more than 200 years. Located 30
minutes from Harrisonburg, the caverns are
open year-round and offer a variety of tours.
Forest Fanatics who want something to
show for their time spent outdoors should
consider fishing on the Chattooga River,
which forms the northern part of the Georgia-South Carolina border. If you're new to fly
fishing, let the pros at Chattooga River Fly
Shop in Mountain Rest, South Carolina, show
you the ropes on a guided trip.

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Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2020