Hickory Nut Mountain at Summer Sunset

At just over 3,100 feet, Hickory Nut Mountain along the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge is not very high, but it all comes down to proximity, and because other ridges in the area are much lower, the long western face of this dramatic mountain is as good as it gets in these parts. The mountain has no roads, and just a few homes on it’s southwestern slope. Its only permanent residents are Perigrine Falcons who nest in the high exposed rock near its summit. This is true wilderness. It is relatively inaccessible, with no hiking trails and very steep climbs. None of this sparsely populated area is part of any national forest or wildlife refuge, or state park system. It remains remote because of its wildness. When you pass over the Eastern Continental Divide on Interstate 40 coming from Asheville, Hickory Nut Mountain is the one that commands the eastern horizon. Simply breathtaking!