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The Sound of Silence:
A Look Inside the Coleman Boundary
by Melanie King
New, clean air has a trace of the musky odor of an old forest. Giant pines give an aura of age and time, and the stream running by gives a gratifying sound of solitude.
Horseback riding is only one way to enjoy the Coleman Boundary. (Click to enlarge)
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Boulders appear from nowhere; covered in moss, they seem to emerge from the floor of the forest. This is the Coleman Boundary.
An hour from Mars Hill, located in Barnardsville, the Boundary is strewn across the Great Craggy Mountains of North Carolina and bordered by the Blue Ridge Parkway. With waterfalls, boulders, sheer cliffs, and old growth forests, the Coleman Boundary contains some of the most rugged areas in Western North Carolina.
Traversing the boundary can be difficult, and Forest Road 74, an 8-mile long gravel road, trailing along the sides of the mountains, allows drivers, hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers to view several of the places that make the Coleman Boundary so distinct.
Corner Rock
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Entering into the Coleman Boundary one is immediately given the impression of seclusion. Curving through the countryside of Barnardsville, Dillingham Road runs straight into FR 74. The road crosses over a one-lane bridge, from open surroundings into the dim closeness of overhanging branches and trees on either side.
Camping is allowed as long as you are 500 feet from roads and the picnic area, and not in designated wildlife openings. No developed camping sites have been built, but there are several places at the beginning of FR 74 that are easily accessible.
Corner Rock, Walker Falls, Douglas Falls, and a few others make up the attractions that are easily reached from FR 74.
Corner Rock is a massive boulder, seemingly precariously balanced on a small knoll. Covered on top with trees, moss, and vines, Corner Rock resonates age.
Unfortunately, part of the rock has been defaced with graffiti, and campsites litter the ground underneath. Further up FR 74 are the cliffs.
Walker Falls
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The Boundary contains lots of boulders and cliffs. Daunting in their immense size, the cliffs are not only beautiful, but also present a unique opportunity to rock climbers of all skill levels. Whether a beginner or an expert, the cliffs give challenging practice. If you aren't interested in climbing up a sheer cliff, then a rocky trail is available up the side for a view of the mountains.
With small waterfalls in almost every corner of the road, Walker Falls is perhaps the easiest to view. The smaller of the two largest falls, Walker Falls is easily seen from the road, and a trail next to the falls leads into old growth.
At the very end of the road Douglas Falls is easily reached by a ten minute trail, also good for viewing wildlife. With a 70-foot, free-fall drop over a sheer cliff, it's no wonder that Douglas Falls is the main attraction. If you are still looking to climb, a trail is located next to the far side of the falls leading up to the top.
Douglas Falls
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When you get to the top, it's disappointing because you can't see over the edge. But beware of being too curious. Slipping on the weathered rock and falling off the top is very much a possibility.
Leaving the forest you again cross the one lane bridge. Breaking out into the open and seeing houses, and at the same time crossing from gravel to pavement, you remember that you weren't a million miles away from civilization. You get a strange detached sort of feeling and the remnant of what you felt in the forest doesn't leave for hours.
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