places where you won't be able to wipe the wag off your dog's tail - Edneyville NC
The Park
Bearwallow Mountain lords over eastern Henderson County at an elevation of 4,232 feet; it is the second-highest point in the county. A grassy meadow summit spilling down its northwest face helps distinguish the peak from its neighbors across the Eastern Continental Divide. The lack of trees enable windspeeds to accelerate to many times that which may be buffering canine hikers at lower elevations, sometimes exceeding 100 mph. Trees that are hundreds of years old are the height of youngsters and in places the wind has scooped out depressions from the thin soil that resemble the bunkers on windswept, seaside Scottish golf courses. With the coming of the communications age Bearwallow was a magnet for tower construction and today the summit is peppered with all manner of electronic apparatus. In 2009, the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy placed a conservation easement on 81 acres at the top of Bearwallow Mountain with plans to preserve almost another 500.
The Walks
Here is a chance for your dog to feel the sun on her neck. You have to make your way through airy hardwoods to reach the wide open spaces on Bearwallow Mountain from the trailhead. A well-engineered, switch-backing and stepped footpath battles the 537-foot gain in elevation and in less than a half- hour your dog will be bursting out of the trees into the wide open spaces. The white-diamond blazed trail joins the service road that you will use for your descent at this point but your dog will no doubt want to romp on the grassy hillsides for the short stretch to the top. On clear days the panoramic summit serves up 100-mile views; hopefully you have remembered your binoculars. From the top of the abandoned 47-foot firetower, built in 1937 and decommissioned in 1994 and now off-limits, ten counties could be scanned for forest fires - spotting at times dozens a day - but you will have to be content with long views into Asheville and beyond Apple Valley into Hendersonville.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: A mapboard is at the trailhead and easy to decipher; the Bearwallow Mountain Trail is marked by white diamonds.
Workout For Your Dog - A moderate to hearty climb to the open pastures at the top of Bearwallow Mountain.
Swimming - Not here.
Restrictions On Dogs - Dogs are welcome on Bearwallow Mountain.
Something Extra
Only six states produce more apples than North Carolina and nearly seven of every ten of those apples is grown in Henderson County. From his lofty perch on Bearwallow Mountain your dog can survey about 5000 acres planted in Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Galas and the local favorite every year at the North Carolina Apple Festival on Labor Day weekend - Honeycrisps. During harvest season many orchards allow you to pick your own and bring your dog to the field.
Phone - (828) 697-5777
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Edneyville; from I-26 take Exit 49 onto US 64 East and go six miles to Mills Gap Road and turn left. In a quarter-mile turn right on Bearwallow Road. When it ends in 2.5 miles turn left on Old Clear Creek Road and right on Bearwallow Mountain Road. At 2.5 miles bear right - do not go straight on North Bearwallow Road. Parking is on the side of the road in another 2.5 miles when the road turns to gravel. You can also get here by coming up that gravel road from US 74 in Gerton.
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