South Mountains (North Carolina)

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The South Mountains are an ancient and deeply eroded mountain range in western North Carolina. They are an isolated remnant of the much larger Appalachian Mountains to the west, and are separated from the Appalachians by the Catawba River valley. The range covers approximately 100,000 acres (400 km²) in Burke, Cleveland, and Rutherford counties. The South Mountains are the highest and most rugged chain of the isolated mountain ranges which dot North Carolina's Piedmont region. The highest point in the range is Buzzard Roost, which rises to 3,110 feet (948 m) above sea level. The South Mountains are heavily forested, and water erosion from numerous rivers and streams has given them narrow ridges and valleys.

The mountains were once inhabited by the Cherokee Indian tribe; after gold was discovered in the mountains in the 1800s numerous prospectors moved into the area, and by the time the mines closed in the early 1900s over $1 million in gold had been found. Today the mountains are sparsely populated, and no towns exist in the immediate region. Most of the South Mountains remain in the hands of private owners. However, in 1973 the State of North Carolina paid $1.5 million to acquire 5,779 acres (23.4 km²) of land in the South Mountains, and in 1975 the South Mountains State Park was created. Today the park covers nearly 17,000 acres (69 km²), and includes the impressive High Shoals Falls, which cascade over 80 feet down a sheer cliff and form a large, deep pool at the bottom. The highest point in the park is Benn Knob, which rises to 2,894 feet (882 m) above sea level. The park, like most of the South Mountains, is largely undeveloped, and much of it is still wilderness.