#panthertown

[faux-pro]

[backyardadventures]

PANTHERTOWN, NC

My first ever camping trip was in Panthertown Valley, NC. This trip was so special to me; it opened my eyes to the simple beauty that is all around us.

I hiked for miles with new friends, slept outside beside a waterfall, and even saw the Milky Way for the first time with my own eyes!

The first picture is from the morning after the brightest night sky I have ever seen. I saw my first shooting star, followed by countless others and the Milky Way was more visible than I thought possible. I spent about an hour before falling asleep admiring the view and thinking about life. I felt infinitely small and so connected. This sky is above us every night, and a spot away from lights is something that we can all find relatively close to home.

The second photo is also from that morning, a view of my friend waking up in the freezing September morning as I did from just a sleeping bag and thin camping pad. The three of us that slept outside with the waterfall woke up multiple times in the night from the intense cold, but all three of us said it was worth it.

As excited as I was at first, I often get anxious in social situations, and it can be difficult for me to calm my body down or slow my racing thoughts when I am with new people especially. Even spending the night at a friend’s apartment can make me feel physically uncomfortable. I’m sure others have similar worries, so I want to share my experience. I felt my walls coming down only a few hours into this trip, which is beautifully strange to me.

Upon reflection, I believe the physical demands of the hike along with the fact that everyone else was experiencing the same exhaustion helped me to relax. There were less expectations in the forest. I was able to think clearly and I could appreciate being in the moment with the others and the earth around us.

Adventure is more accessible than you may think, and you can learn more about yourself and life by stopping and smelling the roses.

Stay tuned for my next entry, where I talk about an overnight island trip!

[scottishcream]

#panthertown, Devils Elbow. #hiking #camping #calm #relax #amateurphotography #mine #donotsteal (at North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0MuKUkndC0/?igshid=5089vhl8b1et

[continent-of-wild-endeavor]

All right, this doesn’t look like much, but Panthertown has a high-altitude bog! Quite a rare ecosystem. I walked in this far before it got super, well, boggy, and was excited to see this, especially after my pocosin adventures. Other end of the state, but catch me in those wetlands.

[hikertrashcasual]

Emily’s Cascade, Fork Creek, High in the French Broad watershed above the iconic Elmo’s Falls - 2.23.2018 #blueridge #blueridgemountains #blueridgeday #panthertownvalley #panthertown #laketoxaway #the828 #notinanybook #elmosfalls #waterfall #waterfalls #pisgahnationalforest #transylvaniacounty @honeybadgerimages

[hikertrashcasual]

Give it Up One More Time for Schoolhouse Falls on Ice! 1.7.2018 in the Great Southern FreezeOut 2018 #blueridgemountains #panthertownvalley #panthertown #schoolhousefalls #visitnc #cashiersnc #blueridgecountry #frozenwaterfall #recreationgov #the828 #828isgreat #blueridgeoutdoors #visitnc #blueridgeoutdoors #naturalnc #frozenwaterfall #frozen #frozenwater #smokymountainliving #cashiersnc #landofwaterfalls #the828 #mountaintowns #booneview #womenofepicity #inspireappalachia #recreationgov #visitasheville #brevardnc #blueridgemountainlife #naturalnorthcarolina ©️honeybadgerimages (at Panthertown Valley)

[hikertrashcasual]

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Behind the Veil of Schoolhouse Falls - 1.7.2018 - The Great Southern FreezeOut 2018 #panthertownvalley #panthertown #frozenwaterfall #frozen #frozenwater #blueridgemountains #blueridgeoutdoors #smokymountainliving #cashiersnc #landofwaterfalls #the828 #828isgreat #visitnc #booneview #inspireappalachia #recreationgov #visitasheville #brevardnc #blueridgemountainlife ©️honeybadgerimages (at Panthertown Valley)

[kramlabs]

An Insider's Guide to Panthertown Valley: The Yosemite of the East | Discover Jackson County, NC

Although big cats no longer prowl the 6,295-acre swath of the Nantahala National Forest dubbed Panthertown Valley, it’s still easy to imagine the namesake predators roaming the sylvan trails. One of the most stunning and ruggedly wild tracts of the massive national forest is Panthertown Valley—a place that has been referred to as the Yosemite of the East and one that is home to an unimaginably varied backcountry loaded with craggy granite cliffs, plunging ravines, soaring 4,000-foot peaks, and waterfalls spilling into private plunge pools. The recreation area is open to hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, fishing, and horseback riding—and despite increase popularity in recent years, Panthertown’s rugged trails are still steeped in solitude.