Panthertown Valley
There are only three ways into the nearly 7,000 acres of Panthertown Valley (via Cold Mountain Gap, Salt Rock Gap, and Flat Creek / Rock Bridge); once you’re in, it’s welcome to the wilderness. That’s why those who enter—whether day hikers, mountain bikers, campers, birdwatchers, photographers, equestrians, sportsmen, and more—are advised to stay on the 30 miles of marked trails.
Panorama view of Panthertown Valley. Photo by Andrew Cole.
In the days before the Forest Service made those trails available to the public and the Friends of Panthertown began to maintain them, and before any comprehensive maps of the area were created, visitors to the valley could find themselves quickly disoriented. At the time, the only navigational aids were 50+ miles of user-created backcountry trails, rarely marked.
Today, travelers with a thirst for adventure tempered by some common sense find that Panthertown Valley can be both an escape and a destination. And make no mistake, the word is out: Some 30,000 guests arrive to explore the area annually.
That’s why Panthertown’s recent designation as a “Hot Spot” by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is so vital in managing the balancing act between increasing use and the danger of being “loved to death.”
According to Jason Kimenker, Executive Director of the nonprofit Friends of Panthertown, “We’ve already adopted and promote the seven Leave No Trace principles throughout the valley; this Hot Spot designation will amplify those efforts.”
The Seven Leave No Trace Principles
As a part of this designation, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Team will be at Panthertown Valley in the coming weeks to lead a variety of workshops and events, including opportunities for community involvement. See the full slate of activities here.
Does that mean you should expect a crowd when you visit Panthertown? Not necessarily, says Krista Robb, Panthertown’s Trail Stewardship Coordinator. “It’s true that some areas of the valley see frequent visitors, especially on weekends – for instance, Big Green and Little Green mountains are relatively close to the parking area at Salt Rock Gap. And Schoolhouse Falls is an easy hike from either trailhead. But there are many areas within the valley where you may be the only person for miles.”
Little and Big Green Mountains, two rockfaces which lend Panthertown the moniker “Yosemite of the East.”
Sunlight over Schoolhouse Falls. Photo by Maddy Jones, originally published in the Asheville Citizen-Times.
One of Panthertown’s hidden treasures, Wilderness Falls is approximately 60′ high and flows over some banded rock.
In fact, historically the Panthertown Valley has been largely uninhabited, although Indian tribes used it for centuries as a throughway and hunting grounds. When the area boomed with mountain resorts in the early 1900s, developer E.H. Jennings purchased the tract and other nearby parcels (he also purchased the Toxaway Company out of receivership after Lake Toxaway’s dam failed). A decade or so later, his son and heir, R.G. Jennings, sold the land to the Moltz Lumber Company, who logged areas of the forest extensively.
In the 1960’s, as Lake Toxaway was reviving with its current dam, a developer purchased the Panthertown land, intending to also build private homes with a lake and golf course, though these plans were never pursued. However, some of the land was planted as a Christmas tree farm and similarly, never harvested, resulting in stands of white pines that can still be seen in the valley today.
In the late 1980s, Duke Power (now Duke Energy) bought the valley. Despite local opposition, a high-voltage transmission line was constructed along its east side and is still in place. After constructing the line, Duke sold the land outside of the right-of-way to the Nature Conservancy, who then sold it to the Forest Service for public land use.
Through all of its iterations, Panthertown Valley has retained its wildness and beauty, and its rugged geography — with a little help from its Friends (and visitors) — should ensure that will be the case for many more years to come.
