Join SAHC on Saturday, Nov. 7 for a fall hike along the Rough Creek Watershed’s inner loop trail! Participants will hike a moderately strenuous 5 mile loop through a beautiful forest with a near pristine ecosystem. Our hike will consist of about 1,000 ft of elevation gain, most within the first two miles. This watershed contains nearly 7 miles of streams, numerous seeps, springs, & swamp/bog areas which have become fairly uncommon with human inhabitants of the region. It also is home to many species of interesting & rare plants (painted trillium, whorled pogonia) as well as a large & diverse animal population (salamanders, turkey, bear, bobcats, songbirds).
The protected Rough Creek Watershed property, located at 265 Rough Water Pt., consists of over 870 acres of beautiful & majestic land, owned by the Town of Canton. This property is located on the South side of the Newfound Mountain Range, approximately 5 miles north of Canton in Western North Carolina. The Rough Creek Watershed Trail System is comprised of 3 trails of various distances, totaling 10+ miles.
In 2002, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy permanently protected the Town of Canton’s watershed property through a grant awarded by the NC Land and Water Fund (NCLWF, formerly known as the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund). NCLWF holds a conservation easement on the property, which SAHC monitors annually, ensuring the protection of the land’s water resources and unique forest ecosystem. This is one of five municipal watershed protection projects that SAHC has completed in WNC.
*Please note that dogs are not allowed on these trails.
Although the Town of Canton’s Rough Creek Watershed property is available for the public to hike and bike, advance registration for this guided group hike is required. Please sign up below.
Questions about this hike? Contact SAHC’s Outreach Program Manager Erin Goodpaster at erin@appalachian.org.