SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
This series covers some of the scenic roads, public and private lands of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, which includes Cherokee, Nantahala and Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina.
The Southern Apps are a global biodiversity hotspot and home to a higher diversity of trees and aquatic species compared to anywhere else in North America. For example, over 50% the 850+ freshwater fish species found in North America are packed into the streams and rivers of the region which only accounts for 1% the continent’s land area. In addition to trees and aquatic species, the South Apps are biodiverse in all categories of life and are a refuge for over 200 different threatened or endangered species. That diversity makes for colorful scenery at all times of the year and especially dynamic seasonal changes in spring and fall.
Pictured below are views from well-known scenic highways like US 129 (Tail of the Dragon) and Cherohala Skyway as well as some little known mountain roads. Off the highway are lookouts like Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains and Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in North Carolina. Further off the path are trails that lead to the infamous Appalachian balds which are host to panoramic views and rare species like the Flame Azalea.