{"id":40296,"date":"2018-11-07T13:46:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-07T21:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=40296"},"modified":"2020-04-28T15:34:13","modified_gmt":"2020-04-28T22:34:13","slug":"your-guide-to-rocky-fork-state-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/your-guide-to-rocky-fork-state-park","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Rocky Fork State Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the closest state parks to downtown Asheville, North Carolina, is actually just across the border in Tennessee, and it encompasses some of the most rugged terrain in the Southeast. <\/span><\/p>\n

In 2012, the state of Tennessee established Rocky Fork State Park<\/a>, more than 2,000 acres of mountains punctuated by cliffs and bisected by wild trout streams. Aside from a few small improvements to the infrastructure (a parking lot and trail signs), the land has been left mostly untouched since its establishment. <\/span><\/p>\n

The terrain is steep and lush and covered with rhododendron and hardwoods. Tight gorges carved by drop-and-pool streams are surrounded by massive, mossy boulders. \u201cRocky Fork has this pristine, rustic feel that you can\u2019t find in too many other places,\u201d says Rocky Fork State Park ranger Tim Pharis. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cherokee National Forest surrounds the park on three sides, and many of the park\u2019s trails bleed into the national forest, giving the area a footprint much larger than its 2,000 acres. A section of the Appalachian Trail (AT)<\/a> runs along the ridgeline that separates the park from the national forest. <\/span><\/p>\n

The landscape is raw\u2014and rewards exploration. Spend some time poking around and you\u2019ll find towering cliffs, deep swimming holes and expansive views. Although infrastructure improvements are in the works\u2014including a visitor\u2019s center, campground and scenic drive\u2014there\u2019s no time like the present to explore this semi-hidden gem. <\/span><\/p>\n

Why Rocky Fork State Park?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Hiking <\/b><\/h3>\n

There are 50 miles of marked trails and old logging roads within the park and the surrounding national forest. The terrain is steep and most of the hikes feature significant climbs. <\/span><\/p>\n

As for trailheads, there\u2019s only one within the park, where a well-maintained gravel path follows Rocky Fork Creek, giving visitors easy access to the watershed and the trails that ascend its surrounding ridges. The trails tend to get more rugged the farther you climb away from the creek, with wide logging roads often narrowing to singletrack. <\/span><\/p>\n

Whitehouse Cliffs Trail<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n