Siler Ridge (via Winding Stair Gap)

The Nantahala National Forest is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina and is the the second wettest region in the country – after the Pacific Northwest. The word “Nantahala” is a Cherokee word meaning “Land of the Noonday Sun.” In some spots, the sun only reaches the floors of the deep gorges in the middle of the day. The National Forest has 531,270 acres with elevation ranging from 5,800 feet at Lone Bald in Jackson County to 1,200 feet in Cherokee County along the Hiwassee River.

Siler Bald at 5,216 feet was named for William Siler whose great grandson, Reverend A. Rufus Morgan, helped establish the A.T. in North Carolina. The U.S. Forest Service clears and maintains the bald which has a grassy summit with spectacular (and nearly 360 degree) views from Tray Mountain to the Great Smoky Mountains. Wayah Bald, about six trail miles north, can also be seen to the north. This is a backtrack hike that starts at Winding Stair Gap on U.S. 64 about ten miles from Franklin, N.C. and climbs over 2200 feet through Snowbird Gap to the summit of Siler Bald.