Nantahala National Forest

Created in 1920, the 500,000-acre Nantahala National Forest dominates the rugged southwestern corner of North Carolina. Rivers such as the Cheoah, Cullasaja, Chattooga, Nantahala and Tuckasegee carve deep gorges, making the region one of the wettest in the nation. The Whitewater River tumbles over the highest waterfall in the eastern United States. Power companies dammed local rivers, creating some of North Carolina's most scenic recreational mountain lakes. The high peaks, secluded coves and forested woodlands of the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Panthertown Valley and Buck Creek Serpentine Pine Barrens and other areas hold cultural and natural history secrets. Author and naturalist Marci Spencer reveals the history and splendor of the Nantahala National Forest.
A retired nurse practitioner, Marci Spencer is the author of Clingmans Dome: Highest Mountain in the Great Smokies and Pisgah National Forest: A History, both published by The History Press. Her children's book, Potluck, Message Delivered: The Great Smoky Mountains Are Saved!, was published by Grateful Steps. The Yosemite Conservancy included Marci's essay "Pine Siskins Make History" in its book, The Wonder of It All: 100 Stories from the National Park Service, published to celebrate the centennial of the national park system.
"Clearly, this is something we've been waiting for, for a long, long time."The Franklin Press
"Documenting the history of the forest is no easy feat, but Spencer makes it seem so, infusing comprehensive research with the stories that built the forest into a conversational tome filled with archaic photographs to illustrate the journey." Watauga Democrat