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36-607: Gorges State Park is a 7,709-acre (31.20 km) North Carolina state park in Transylvania County , North Carolina in the United States and along with other conservation lands is part of a 100,000+ acre conservation corridor stretching some 80 miles along the NC/SC state line. The land, along Jocassee Gorges, was purchased by the state from Duke Energy Corporation in 1999. It is North Carolina's westernmost state park and one of

72-552: A "reasonable amount" of each area undisturbed and free from improvements and structures. State Natural Areas protect areas more sensitive to human activities than State Parks. Most of the State Natural Areas are undeveloped and have limited to no facilities, and some of them are closed to the general public to protect rare, fragile ecosystems . A few have developed facilities for low intensity, passive recreation, as well as facilities for public interpretation and education of

108-566: A minimum and to leave a "liberal portion" of each park undisturbed and free from improvements and structures, except for trails. Several of the State Parks are new and are still being planned and developed. A few of the older state parks were greatly expanded in size in the 2000s adding trails and bike paths open to the public. State Recreation Areas are more intensely developed units than State Parks, and they largely encompass lands less sensitive to human activities than State Parks. According to

144-532: A trail corridor or for protecting significant features or resources along the trail. Most of these lands are leased to other land management agencies. All of the State Trails are joint projects with other government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The following is the NC Division of Parks & Recreation description of State Trails: The North Carolina Trails System Act was passed in 1973 to help provide for

180-478: Is also home to North Carolina's largest known population of green salamanders . The rare Swainson's warbler and three rare fish, the turquoise darter , rosyface chub and redeye bass are found in Gorges State Park as well. The following state parks and state forests are within 30 miles (48 km) of Gorges State Park: List of North Carolina state parks State Parks are the principle unit of

216-513: Is also home to an abundance of plant and wildlife that is more typical to the southern Appalachians. Plant species include, mountain laurel , rhododendron , white pine , red oak , and hickories . Oconee bells are very rare flowering plants are abundant in the gorges of the park. These flowers are endangered and populations of the plant have been found. The most common animal species of Gorges State Park are white-tailed deer , black bear , wild turkey , coyote , fox , and wild boar . The park

252-404: Is less than one mile northwest of Rosman on U.S. Route 64 . The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute is located approximately six miles north of Rosman, near Balsam Grove . Known first by European Americans as Jeptha, the settlement was known as "Toxaway" in the early 20th century. Because this caused confusion with the nearby resort town of Lake Toxaway (10 miles to the west), in 1903

288-726: Is near the shores of Lake Jocassee , along the Foothills Trail . These campsites are also primitive and hike-in. Dispersed camping is also permitted in the adjoining Pisgah National Forest , and backpackers may register and leave their vehicles in the park. Lake Jocassee is a deep man made lake which forms much of the park's southern boundary, and it is open to trout and bass fishing. The streams of Gorges State Park are all designated Wild Trout Waters . Many miles of trails are open to hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The Grassy Ridge Access off North Carolina Highway 281 in Sapphire

324-446: Is open to hikers , horse-back riders , and mountain bicyclists . The average yearly rainfall at Gorges State Park is between 90-100 inches creating a temperate rainforest. The rainfall is a result of orographic lift which occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. The land at Gorges State Park rises over 2,000 feet (610 m) in just 4 miles (6.4 km). As

360-526: Is the park's primary access. This area is most well known for providing the principle access to Rainbow Falls and Turtleback Falls on the Horsepasture River . These falls are in the Pisgah National Forest , but it is not uncommon for visitors to mistakenly think the falls are inside the park because the park provides the only easy, legal access to them. Upper Bearwallow Falls is located in

396-549: The Savannah River / Atlantic Ocean drainage basins . Five streams flowing through Gorges State Park carry water over the Blue Ridge Escarpment , gradually at first, before plummeting over waterfalls into a series of gorges . Gorges State Park is home to roughly 125 rare plant and animal species and 12 endangered or threatened plant and animal species. Many of these rare plants species would typically be found only in

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432-422: The NC Division of Parks & Recreation: State Recreation Areas are sites where the primary purpose is outdoor recreation, rather than preservation. More intensive development of facilities is provided than in State Parks. Protection and enjoyment of the natural resources are still important, and the sites are expected to contain scenic and attractive natural features. Development is planned and constructed to keep

468-534: The State Parks System known as State Lakes. Most of these are administratively included as part of an adjoining State Park, but one of the lakes (White Lake) has no public ownership on its shoreline. State Trails are one of the principal components of the State Trail System. State Trails may be either long-distance, hiking trails or paddle trails . State Trails may have land components for providing

504-540: The access area, and it currently is the only waterfall in the park with a maintained trail leading to it. The Frozen Creek Access off Frozen Creek Road in Rosman is the park's secondary access, and the park's longest trails are reached from it. Both the Auger Hole and Cane Break trails start at the access, and they end at different points along the Foothills Trail . The Auger Hole Trail is the park's only multi-use trail and it

540-421: The age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 20.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.77. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under

576-460: The age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $ 20,179, and the median income for a family was $ 24,219. Males had a median income of $ 21,500 versus $ 21,042 for females. The per capita income for

612-487: The air mass gains altitude it expands and cools adiabatically . This cooler air cannot hold the moisture as well as warm air can, which effectively raises the relative humidity to 100%, creating clouds and frequent precipitation . Gorges State Park is home to a wide variety of habitats due to its differing geologic formations, elevation, and climate. It is located between the Tennessee Valley / Gulf of Mexico and

648-604: The benefit of present and future generations. The Natural and Scenic Rivers Act established criteria and methods for inclusion of components to the system. Components of the Natural and Scenic Rivers System are State Rivers, and are also units of the State Parks System. Some units have been formally removed from the NC State Park System and transferred to other agencies for management. When the State Historic Site system

684-704: The eastern boundary of Pisgah National Forest . The French Broad River runs through the town of Rosman. The river's origin, where the North Fork French Broad and the West Fork French Broad converge to form the river proper, lies just west of the town. A USGS stream gauge station, number 03439000, is located on the French Broad River in Rosman. The climate is very wet, with a mean annual rainfall since 1936 of 79.54 inches (2,020.3 mm)—one of

720-570: The highest in the US east of the Cascades. The record annual rainfall of 129.60 inches (3,291.8 mm) in 1964 is the second heaviest for a calendar year within this region, only 0.54 inches (13.7 mm) behind Mount Washington ’s record from 1969. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 701 people, 240 households, and 104 families residing in the town. As of the census of 2000, there were 490 people, 210 households, and 149 families residing in

756-607: The land for sale to natural resources agencies in North and South Carolina . The NC Division of Parks and Recreation stepped up to create, with the support of local citizens and the North Carolina General Assembly , one of the newest state parks in 1999. Gorges State Park is open for year-round recreation, including, camping , hiking , mountain biking , and fishing . Primitive camping is available in several different natural environments. The Ray Fisher Place campground

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792-546: The land. Then, in the 1940s and 1950s, Singer sold the land to Duke Energy Corporation. The corporation purchased the land for its steep topography and high rainfall, which offered opportunities for development of hydropower projects. Conservation studies, in Jocassee Gorge, began in the late 1970s. In the late 1990s, Duke Energy decided that it no longer needed large portions of the Gorges for future hydropower and offered

828-508: The most damaging interferences to the Gorges environment occurred in 1916 when the dam containing Lake Toxaway broke. Record amounts of water gushed southward down the Toxaway River , destroying the communities in its path, scouring the gorges and leaving piles of debris 15 to 20 feet (6.1 m) high. Following the flood, local citizens eventually sold large land tracts in the Gorges to Singer Sewing Machine Company , which logged most of

864-466: The name was changed to "Eastatoe," the name of a historic Cherokee town in the area. It was also the name for nearby Eastatoe Gap and Eastatoe Falls . The Cherokee word for the Carolina parakeet was eastatoe. Town residents promoted another change, and Joseph Silversteen (a local industrialist) suggested Rosman in 1905, after two of his business associates, Joseph Rosenthal and Morris Osmansky. This

900-504: The natural area. The NC Division of Parks & Recreation states: The purpose of State Natural Areas is focused on preserving and protecting areas of scientific, aesthetic, or ecological value. Facilities are limited to those needed for interpretation, protection, and minimum maintenance. Generally, recreational and public use facilities such as camping, swimming, picnicking, and the like are not provided in State Natural Areas. State Lakes are all large, naturally formed bodies of water in

936-506: The state park system. The NC Division of Parks & Recreation describes its parks as follows: Generally, State Parks are expected to possess both significant natural resource values and significant recreational values. State Parks are expected to accommodate the development of facilities, but may vary in the extent of development depending upon what can be provided without damage to the scenic or natural features. Facilities are planned and constructed to keep disturbance of natural resources to

972-604: The state's Coastal Plain . Most of the lakes are Carolina Bays . The NC Division of Parks & Recreation describes its State Lakes as follows: Chapter 165 of the Laws of 1929 specified that "all lakes now belonging to the State having an area of 50 acres or more" should be "administered as provided for other recreational areas now owned by the State." This allowed the then-Department of Conservation and Development to assume management authority for seven Coastal Plain lakes that became units of

1008-515: The state's Natural and Scenic Rivers System, which is the state's equivalent to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System . Most of the state's National Wild and Scenic Rivers , are also State Rivers and vice versa . The NC Division of Parks & Recreation states that: The Natural and Scenic Rivers System was created by the 1971 General Assembly to preserve and protect certain free flowing rivers, their water quality and their adjacent lands for

1044-420: The state's newest. The park is adjacent to part of the Pisgah National Forest and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's Toxaway Game Land. Gorges State Park provides the principal access to the Horsepasture River on these adjoining public lands. The land of Gorges State Park is a thriving second growth forest . It has recovered from the interference of man to provide a thriving and unique habitat. One of

1080-485: The state's outdoor recreation needs and to promote public access to natural and scenic areas. The act prescribed methods for establishing a statewide system of scenic trails, recreation trails, and connecting or side trails. The Trails System includes "park trails", which are designated and managed as units of the State Parks System known as State Trails, and "designated trails", which are managed by other governmental agencies or corporations. State Rivers are components of

1116-436: The town was $ 9,626. About 23.1% of families and 25.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 25.6% of those under age 18 and 35.8% of those age 65 or over. Rosman is home to The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center , as well as Ridge Haven. The schools in the Rosman area include Rosman Elementary & TC Henderson Elementary, Rosman Middle and Rosman High School. Rosman's athletic teams are nicknamed

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1152-405: The town. The population density was 1,140.7 inhabitants per square mile (440.4/km ). There were 236 housing units at an average density of 549.4 per square mile (212.1/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 98.57% White , 0.20% Asian , and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population. There were 210 households, out of which 33.3% had children under

1188-462: The tropic regions of the world. Scientists are unsure of how these plants, including Pringle's aquatic moss and Carolina star-moss, have come to grow in the Appalachian Mountains far from their usual homes. Some scientists believe that spores blew in from the tropics. Others think that the species have remained from a time period when the surrounding area was much warmer. Gorges State Park

1224-532: Was approved. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km ), all land. Within the town limits of Rosman and to the south of the town limits, U.S. Route 178 is called Pickens Highway, referring to Pickens, South Carolina . South of Rosman, the highway continues across mountainous terrain through a series of switchback curves into South Carolina, eventually reaching Pickens. Rosman sits on

1260-560: Was closed in 2020 and a new campground with 16 tent sites, 13 RV sites and 5 Camper Cabins was opened in November 2022. Each RV site has sewer and electrical hookups and all sites have a fire ring, picnic table and lantern hook. It was a hike-in campground with six primitive campsites, each with a picnic table, fire ring and lantern hook, and it was a 0.75-mile (1.21 km) hike from the Rainbow Falls Trail-head. Another camping area

1296-509: Was established in 1955, the system's first six components were historic properties transferred from the State Park System. One unit, Rendezvous Mountain , was transferred back to the park system, after 66 years in the state forest system. Rosman, North Carolina Rosman is a town in Transylvania County , North Carolina , United States. The population was 576 at the 2010 census . The northern terminus of U.S. Route 178

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