Nature reserve · North Carolina
Shining Rock Wilderness
Shining Rock Wilderness is a nature reserve in North Carolina, at a modelled elevation of 1,648 m. Richland Balsam stands 1,951 m to the west-southwest, 7.0 miles off. The nearest named place is Stairs Mountain, a peak 0.8 miles away. Blue Ridge Parkway passes 4.3 miles off.
What the record says
- Built
- 1964-9-3
What to expect
- Operated by
- United States Forest Service
- Access
- Yes
How to reach it
Coordinates35.38839, -82.86935
- 4.3 mi off the Blue Ridge Parkway, National
- 3.1 mi off the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway
- 3.3 mi off the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway, National
- 13.6 mi off the Appalachian Medley
Overlooks nearby
Named places within 25 miles
Peaks
- Stairs Mountain: 0.8 mi
- Shining Rock: 1.5 mi
- Dog Loser Knob: 1.5 mi
- Cold Mountain: 1.6 mi
- Old Butt Knob: 1.9 mi
Waterfalls
- Little East Fork Falls: 1.8 mi
- Boulderfield Falls: 2.0 mi
- Upper Greasy Cove Falls: 3.2 mi
- Ivestor Ridge Falls: 3.4 mi
- Bullpen Cove Falls: 3.5 mi
Parks
- Cradle of Forestry in America: 5.8 mi
- Canton Memorial Park: 9.5 mi
- Waynesville Recreation Park: 10.0 mi
- Waynesville Skate Park: 10.0 mi
- Sorrells Street Park: 10.0 mi
Historic sites: 28
- North Carolina Confederate Veterans Memorial Forest: 6.2 mi
- Buck Springs Lodge foundation: 7.0 mi
- Camp John Rock: 8.4 mi
- the "Big Gun" Clyde Veterans Memorial: 10.3 mi
- Ferin Fire Tower: 12.1 mi
Gardens: 27
- Rhododenron Garden: 10.0 mi
- Susanna Wesley Garden: 11.4 mi
- Brevard Community Garden: 13.2 mi
- Plant Professional Landscape Garden: 16.1 mi
- Plants of Promise Garden: 16.4 mi
Attractions: 22
- 1915 Climax Locomotive: 6.0 mi
- Historical Downtown: 9.7 mi
- M1: 13.3 mi
- Judaculla Rock: 14.8 mi
- Wayehutta OHV Trail System: 14.9 mi
Artworks: 21
- Berm Park: 10.7 mi
- Chief Junaluska: 11.3 mi
- Chalice: 18.2 mi
- American Eclipse: 18.3 mi
- Wi: 18.4 mi
Cliffs: 17
- Bald Cliff: 10.3 mi
- Horseshoe Rock: 11.6 mi
- River Cliffs: 14.5 mi
- Castle Rock: 16.3 mi
- Dunns Rock: 16.5 mi
Museums: 14
- Cradle of Forestry: 5.7 mi
- Canton Area Historical Museum: 10.1 mi
- Shook Museum: 10.3 mi
- Transylvania Heritage Museum: 13.0 mi
- Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum: 14.6 mi
Nature reserves: 6
- Cold Mountain Gameland: 2.4 mi
- Bracken Preserve: 11.3 mi
- Falconhurst-West Asheville Preserve: 20.6 mi
- Collier Cove Nature Preserve: 21.5 mi
- Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary: 24.4 mi
Picnic sites: 5
- Pisgah Picnic: 6.8 mi
- Coontree Picnic Area: 9.1 mi
- Sycamore Flats Picnic Area: 11.8 mi
- N. Mills River Picnic Area: 12.7 mi
- Heintooga Picnic Area: 21.6 mi
Rest areas: 5
- Haywood County US 74 Westbound Rest Area: 11.3 mi
- Haywood County US 74 Eastbound Rest Area: 11.8 mi
- I-26 Henderson County Rest Area: 19.3 mi
- I-26 Buncombe County Rest Area: 19.4 mi
- North Carolina Welcome Center: 23.8 mi
Springs: 3
- Cool Spring: 21.4 mi
- Crystal Spring: 21.8 mi
- Lenox Spring: 23.2 mi
Covered bridges: 2
- Mountain Springs Lane: 9.2 mi
- Covered Bridge Trail: 15.6 mi
Beaches: 2
- Lake Powhatan Beach: 15.1 mi
- Sandbar Pool Beach: 17.3 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 7.8 miles of Shining Rock Wilderness. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Balsam | WSW 258° | 1,951 m | 7.0 mi |
| Black Balsam Knob | S 184° | 1,890 m | 4.2 mi |
| Mount Hardy | SSW 209° | 1,866 m | 6.7 mi |
| Reinhart Knob | WSW 246° | 1,856 m | 6.6 mi |
| Tennent Mountain | S 180° | 1,846 m | 3.5 mi |
| Grassy Cove Top | S 174° | 1,844 m | 2.8 mi |
| Sam Knob | SSW 199° | 1,844 m | 4.3 mi |
| Shining Rock | SSE 164° | 1,829 m | 1.5 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:36 | 19:10 | 19:43 |
| June solstice | 06:18 | 20:13 | 20:50 |
| September equinox | 07:20 | 18:56 | 19:30 |
| December solstice | 07:37 | 16:44 | 17:23 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 35 | 38 | 44 | 53 | 61 | 68 | 71 | 70 | 64 | 54 | 44 | 38 |
| Precip in | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.7 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Waynesville 1 E, 9 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element relation/7154530
Day trips start here
- Asheville · 22 mi
Private beta · Free to join
Take the scenic way to Shining Rock Wilderness.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.