Bear's Paw, also known as Hanging Rock and Yonah-wayah in Cherokee, is a 5,203-foot mountain in North Carolina’s High Country beside Seven Devils, on the Avery-Watauga border north of Grandfather Mountain State Park. Known for its prominent ridge and important watersheds, it feeds streams flowing to the Elk and Watauga rivers, while the headwaters of Dutch Creek are protected on its slopes. In 2008, Bear Paw State Natural Area was established after the High Country Conservancy acquired land for the state. Now encompassing 384 acres and managed by Grandfather Mountain State Park, it preserves Hanging Rock Ridge and protects part of the Blue Ridge highlands.