Panthertown Creek #3 (via Cold Mountain Gap)

The Nantahala National Forest is the largest of North Carolina’s four national forests, covering over 530,000 acres in the westernmost part of the state. Named after the Cherokee word “Nantahala,” meaning “Land of the Noon Day Sun,” this forest is known for its deep gorges and valleys, where sunlight may only penetrate at midday. Panthertown Valley is located within the Highlands Ranger District of the Nantahala National Forest in western North Carolina. This district is known for its rich biodiversity, dramatic landscapes, and a variety of recreational opportunities, with Panthertown Valley being one of its most prominent features.

Panthertown Valley has 6,295 acres of protected public land in the Nantahala National Forest. The Valley lies on the eastern continental divide in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and is occasionally referred to as “the Yosemite of the East” for the its deep gorges, broad valleys, mountain bogs and granitic rock domes, tranquil creeks and plunging waterfalls. This hike to Panthertown Creek begins at Cold Mountain Gap and decends along a combination of Forest Roads and hiking trails past Schoolhouse Falls and onto the main corridor trail for Panthertown Valley. Panthertown Creek runs between the two main trailheads at Salt Rock and Cold Mountain Gap and their is a nice sandbar on the route.