Gorges State Park

A new state park, Gorges State Park is in the interim stages of development. Although the facilities are limited, Park Rangers offer programs by request.

http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/gorg/home.html

This is North Carolina’s newest addition to the state park system. “Gorges State Park is located along the Blue Ridge Escarpment, an area where five streams carry water to the Atlantic Ocean from the divide between the Tennessee Valley drainage and the Atlantic drainage. Near the North Carolina and South Carolina state line, the waters plunge over spectacular falls and rush through steep walled gorges.” The area has almost 125 rare plant and animal species, some of which are endangered or threatened. Some of the plants are considered tropical and it is unknown how they came to be in the area. One of these tropical plants is the Carolina Star Moss which also can be found in the Dominican Republic. The area is home to black bears, foxes, deer, wild boars, and many birds including the wild turkey. The green salamander thrives in the area’s damp and shady environment.

The park has a number of well marked hiking trails, many of which are considered strenuous. There are a couple of trails which area easy to moderate in difficulty. Picnicking facilities are available and some tables are wheelchair accessible. Park rangers are available to give educational and interpretive programs about the park. They will also come to the classroom to present information about the park, its plants and animals and their habitats. To request a program, call 828-966-9099.

The North Carolina State Parks website offers a search feature for finding the plants and animals that can be found at each state park. Using the drop-down menus, you can choose a park and either an amphibian, bird, reptile, mammal, fungus, insect, or vascular plant. You can search within each group by family, scientific name, or common name. There are photographs from the state parks and fun facts for some of the species.