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Nature reserve · North Carolina

Shining Rock Wilderness

Shining Rock Wilderness from directly overhead

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.

The record

What the record says

Built
1964-9-3
Visiting

What to expect

Operated by
United States Forest Service
Access
Yes
Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates35.38839, -82.86935

Overlooks nearby

Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Peaks
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
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
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
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
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
On the horizon

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.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Richland BalsamWSW 258°1,951 m7.0 mi
Black Balsam KnobS 184°1,890 m4.2 mi
Mount HardySSW 209°1,866 m6.7 mi
Reinhart KnobWSW 246°1,856 m6.6 mi
Tennent MountainS 180°1,846 m3.5 mi
Grassy Cove TopS 174°1,844 m2.8 mi
Sam KnobSSW 199°1,844 m4.3 mi
Shining RockSSE 164°1,829 m1.5 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:3619:1019:43
June solstice06:1820:1320:50
September equinox07:2018:5619:30
December solstice07:3716:4417:23

Local time (America/New_York).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F353844536168717064544438
Precip in4.64.34.44.54.24.24.14.24.33.03.64.7

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Waynesville 1 E, 9 mi away.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidata

OpenStreetMap element relation/7154530

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