Nature
Gorges State Park in western North Carolina covers 7,709 acres along the Jocassee Gorges and forms part of a conservation corridor of more than 100,000 acres. Created in 1999 after the state bought the land from Duke Energy, it preserves a landscape shaped by a longer history that included the 1916 Lake Toxaway dam failure, extensive logging, and later hydropower plans. Its steep Blue Ridge Escarpment terrain, heavy rainfall, waterfalls, and deep ravines create a temperate rain forest supporting about 125 rare plant and animal species. The park also serves as a major gateway for recreation and protects recovering forest, wild trout streams, and notable wildlife.
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North Carolina · United States
