May 26 Amadahy Falls & Rendezvous Mountain State Park

 

Rendezvous Mountain became a North Carolina State Park in 2022. It had been open to the public since 1984 as a North Carolina State Educational Forest. Prior to that it was operated as a NC State Forest since 1956. The real surprise to me was that it was donated to the state in 1926 to become the state's 3rd state park. The first two parks were Mt Mitchell 1915 and Fort Macon 1924. However, Rendezvous never opened as a state park. It was small and remote and its historical significance questionable. 

What about the name? I've read that Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, who lived on the slopes of the mountain, would climb to the top and blow an Ox horn to call the local militia men. It might have been in response to Indian raids and later during the Revolutionary War. Prior to the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780, Cleveland gathered 300 local men and marched them on what is now the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. 

My hike is on the Amadahy Waterfalls Trail. It begins at the logging displays left from the educational forest era of the park. First on a gravel road and then on an overgrown woods road. I follow a ridge with steep slopes. Eventually, the trail heads down steeply. As it approaches Purlear Creek, vegetation replaces leaf litter. The trees get larger and finally we're at the creek. A lone picnic table has found its way here. 

Snakeskin Liverwort

The trail hugs the Purlear Creek through a sea of New York Fern. It is a tight gorge and looks almost impossible to climb out of. There is lush and blooming vegetation for about a mile before the trail climbs up and away from the creek.

Wild Hydrangea 

Amadahy Falls

This is as close as I could get to the waterfall. The small creek puts on a big show here. Up close, the creek bed is loaded with glittering mica.

Broad Beech Fern

Sharpwing Monkey flower 

Drippy yellow blazes are standard fare, not that you could have gone anywhere else here. It was just too steep.

Wild Yam in full bloom

Galax

After leaving the creek and climbing out of the gorge, the remainder of the trail is on a gravel road closed to vehicles. 

This 1936 firetower was assembled by the CCC during their tenure here. They also build a cabin nearby which later served as the watchman's cabin. The tower is not open to the public although it looks like you could climb it. US Cellular has some equipment on it, so there may be some microwave exposure.