An amazing network of mountain ranges comprise North America's famous Appalachian Mountains. In western North Carolina, the Craggy Mountains cover over 10,000 acres and form an area of Appalachia called Big Ivy. Big Ivy is situated west of the Blue Ridge Parkway and northeast of Asheville, in Pisgah National Forest.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has nine trails in Big Ivy, and RP was fortunate to hike the Perkins Trail on a lovely fall day. We encountered a wealth of natural beauty, including a waterfall, sheer rock face, and an abundance of colorful foliage!