Headwaters State Forest

After nine years of effort, Headwaters State Forest opened to the public in September 2018. The 6,730-acre conservation project is the result of a collaboration between the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, its N.C. Forest Service division and several other partners. The wildest of Transylvania County public lands, Headwaters combines natural resource conservation objectives with limited public recreation.

You will find no visitors center or public restrooms here, just miles and miles of nature, accessible by several public trails, including the easy East Fork Falls Trail, the Foothills Trail, the hike to Bursted Rock, swimming in the East Fork of the French Broad River, and backcountry exploration. Kid-friendly act...