| Shining Rock | |
|---|---|
Shining Rock |
|
| Elevation | 6,040 ft (1,841 m) |
| Prominence | 320 ft (98 m) |
| Location | |
| Location | Haywood County, North Carolina, USA |
| Range | Great Balsam Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Shining Rock |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Shining Rock is a mountain in western North Carolina.[1][2] The mountain is one of the Great Balsam Mountains which are a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains within the Appalachian Mountains. It is the 38th tallest mountain in the eastern United States.[3]
Shining Rock is in the Shining Rock Wilderness near milepost 420 of the Blueridge Parkway. The Art Loeb Trail passes just below the summit.
Shining Rock is named for the large cluster of quartz boulders near its summit.
According to the Cherokee anthropologist James Mooney, the Cherokee name for Shining Rock, Datsu'nălâsgûñ'yĭ, translates to "where their tracks are this way" and refers to a rock that is said to have tracks of Tsul 'Kalu and his children.[4]
This is distinct from Judaculla Rock[5] which is discussed with Tsul 'Kalu, is south of the Blueridge Parkway and contains petroglyphs. Confusion arises because Judaculla (or Jutaculla) is a European corruption of the name Tsul 'Kalu; hence there appear to be two rocks of Cherokee lore named with variations of the name.