Mingus Creek

4 miles | easy

Historic cemeteries and mill, wildflowers

2021 CLASSIC HIKES OF THE SMOKIES

Discover America’s most-visited national park with a guided day hike! The Classic Hikes of the Smokies feature interpretation of the history, flora, and fauna of park trails. Hikes vary in distance, difficulty, and location within the park to provide a comprehensive overview of the Smokies, exposing hikers to high Appalachian vistas, streams teeming with aquatic life, the best collection of log structures on the Eastern Seaboard, and much more.

After completing registration…
You will receive an email the Friday before the hike with directions, and more information. All hikes begin at 9 a.m

Put your critter knowledge to the test with our virtual trivia series! Join two educators from the Friends of the WNC Nature Center for the month of March as we host four virtual trivia nights.

Every Thursday night, we’ll be giving away a prize to the participant with the highest score. We’ll also offer a grand prize for the participant with the highest score over all four nights, so be sure to study hard and join us for the whole month of March!

If you register for all four trivia nights, you’ll also be entered in a raffle to win a prize package valued at $200! Raffle winner will be announced on March 4.

After registering, you’ll receive an email from us with more information. The night of each virtual event, you’ll be emailed a Zoom link to participate. You must register by 6pm the evening of the event in order to participate.

• March 11: “Who’s Got Hair?” – Mammals do! Let’s see how much you really know about furry friends!
• March 18: “Feathered Friends” – It’s a good thing to have a bird brain during this trivia night! Hopefully you’ll fly through the questions!
• March 25: “All About Appalachia” – Here, anything goes! We’ll be asking trivia questions ranging from plant life to the history of our beloved mountains. We’ll also be announcing the grand prize winner of the series at the end of this round!

Test your knowledge of French and American art, craft, and design from the 19th and 20th centuries in honor of our special exhibition Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism Through the French Lens. Between rounds, Associate Curator Whitney Richardson shares her favorite works from Across the Atlantic; sommeliers pair wines with paintings in the exhibition; and artist Ben Hamburger demonstrates Impressionist painting techniques. Recruit your favorite trivia partner, brush up on your fin-de-siècle art knowledge, and get ready to delight your senses of sight and taste. This program takes place via Zoom; space is limited. Generous funding for exhibition programming provided by Art Bridges. More info at ashevilleart.org/events.

Put your critter knowledge to the test with our virtual trivia series! Join two educators from the Friends of the WNC Nature Center for the month of March as we host four virtual trivia nights.

Every Thursday night, we’ll be giving away a prize to the participant with the highest score. We’ll also offer a grand prize for the participant with the highest score over all four nights, so be sure to study hard and join us for the whole month of March!

If you register for all four trivia nights, you’ll also be entered in a raffle to win a prize package valued at $200! Raffle winner will be announced on March 4.

After registering, you’ll receive an email from us with more information. The night of each virtual event, you’ll be emailed a Zoom link to participate. You must register by 6pm the evening of the event in order to participate.

• March 18: “Feathered Friends” – It’s a good thing to have a bird brain during this trivia night! Hopefully you’ll fly through the questions!
• March 25: “All About Appalachia” – Here, anything goes! We’ll be asking trivia questions ranging from plant life to the history of our beloved mountains. We’ll also be announcing the grand prize winner of the series at the end of this round!

What is an airstrip doing in the middle of DuPont State Recreational Forest? Why the formal entrance into a state forest? And how did the lakes come to be?

Come on a moderate all-day hike through historic DuPont Forest where we will walk, talk, take photos and even speculate. DuPont Forest is in Cedar Mountain, located between Hendersonville and Brevard. We will visit Bridal Veil Falls and four lakes. Although the hike focuses on DuPont Forest history, we might see some early spring flowers and buds.

Here are the details:

• The hike is 7.5 miles and about 800 feet of altitude gain over the day. The trails are well-maintained but will be muddy and rocky.
• Meet at the Transylvania County Library (212 S Gaston St, Brevard, NC) by 8:20am. We will depart from there in a caravan and arrive at the Fawn Lake Access Area of DuPont just before 9am.
• Wear light boots or good sneakers with hiking sock, a rain jacket (no matter the weather forecast) and a couple of layers of warm clothing – a long sleeve shirt and a fleece.
• Bring lunch and snacks and at least one quart of water – two pints. Water will not be available  on the hike.
• There are no toilets in the forest. We will stop several times for trail breaks in the woods. There is also no cell service in the area including the forest.
• Note: For liability reasons, no dogs are allowed on this hike.

Questions, concerns? Email me at [email protected]

Put your critter knowledge to the test with our virtual trivia series! Join two educators from the Friends of the WNC Nature Center for the month of March as we host four virtual trivia nights.

Every Thursday night, we’ll be giving away a prize to the participant with the highest score. We’ll also offer a grand prize for the participant with the highest score over all four nights, so be sure to study hard and join us for the whole month of March!

If you register for all four trivia nights, you’ll also be entered in a raffle to win a prize package valued at $200! Raffle winner will be announced on March 4.

After registering, you’ll receive an email from us with more information. The night of each virtual event, you’ll be emailed a Zoom link to participate. You must register by 6pm the evening of the event in order to participate.

• March 25: “All About Appalachia” – Here, anything goes! We’ll be asking trivia questions ranging from plant life to the history of our beloved mountains. We’ll also be announcing the grand prize winner of the series at the end of this round!