cradle of forestry

The center is located qt the old pink beds area of Pisgah National Forest. The mountains around are awesome, and you can drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway from here, if you like high scenic drives and the parkway is open. This is a remote area, but well worth the drive.there are old restored buildings and a nice forestry center open here.

The birthplace of forestry in the United States, it is a wonderful place to explore interpretive displays and historic buildings. They also have some lovely paved walking paths. The day I visited, they were holding a fantastic live animal presentation with birds, snakes, and a groundhog. I didn't plan to visit this place, and came upon it via a recommendation from the Pisgah National Forest Visitor's Center. After a short drive through some beautiful scenery, I walked in just in time for the presentation. For the $5 admission, it is well worth it.

This was truly a great place to visit. I really didn't expect much from a forestry museum, but the inside was fun for the kids and the trails were really nice. The kids loved ringing the bell in the steam train!

Only drawback is that it is off the beaten track. But very well worth it if you are into forestry history. Excellent displays and hands on activities for kids.

We were traveling through on US 276 and stopped at Cradle of Forestry In America, home to the U.S.'s first forestry school. COFA features exhibits dedicated to the forest school and forestry education, the history of forestry and the nature of the North Carolina mountains. There are three short hiking trails (1.5 miles or less), one of which loops through the main buildings of the former forestry school, and an activity area for children. The visitors center staff is very friendly. The center offers a good bookstore and restaurant serving sandwiches and such.

I had first been to the Cradle of Forestry with my older children in the early 90's. I returned with my eldest and youngest, and found it little changed. It is a great, hands on, learning experience about the forest environment and history of the area. It is absolutely a worthwhile stop to make! Combine it with a trip to Sliding Rock down the road for a great day!

I was staying at Lake Junaluska, NC and went through Waynesville on 276. It is a beautiful drive (if you’re looking out the front window), along a very winding road. The drive took me about an hour. I believe it would be a longer distance, but a shorter trip time wise to take Interstate 40 to 280 through Asheville. However, by either route the trip would take at least 45 min. each way. The museum itself is pretty basic. I think about 30 minutes would satisfy the curiosity of most folks. A docent led tour of the Biltmore Forestry School historic campus would probably be worthwhile, but I am not sure if they are available or this self guided only. There is a beautiful waterfall about 10 miles beyond the center to the east on 276. Overall, probably worth the drive if you're staying in the Asheville area, but not from Waynesville or Lake Junaluska.

If you need information on where to do and what to see, make sure you stop in the Cradle of Forestry. They had books and are very helpful.

This place is really kind of a hidden gem. The visitor center has tons of information about the history of forestry in the area (and America), and it has a great scavenger hunt for kids to do while exploring the exhibits. The gift shop is enormous with tons of stuff, both relevant to the USFS as well as Blue Ridge Parkway and Brevard/Asheville area. Take time to actually learn here…it's an amazing history with origins in far away Germany!There are two main trails that leave the center. One is an interpretive trail taking the visitor through the old forestry school buildings (cabins, school house, general stores, etc)…about 1 mile in length. The other trail is an interpretive nature walk through the forest showing old plantings, secondary growth, etc…about 1.25 miles. Both trails have add'l trails that can add 1-3 miles. If you have an interest in natural history and the forest service, this place will not disappoint. My wife and I took our two sons (6 & 3) and we spent 3-4 hours there. The only downside is that they are closed during the winter, so check ahead for seasonal dates.

Half way up the road from Pisgah Forest to the Blue Ridge Parkway the site features exhibits explaining the development of Forest management. Outside the building there are 3 trails that showcase the subject. Original buildings from the Vanderbilt forestry school are well preserved. Lunch served by from a popular Brevard restaurant (Hobnob ). Free on Tuesday; always free to national park senior pass holders.

Not far off the Blue Ridge Parkway, the center is worth a stop. I wish I had a little more time to spend here. Very interesting exhibits. A few short trails/paths if you want to walk and see some history and exhibits. Well worth the $5 admission.

If you are a novice hiker, this is a good place to start. Plenty of benches along the trails for brief stops if desired. Lush trails lead to a logging train and other conservation exhibits. Inside the museum are murals depicting different jobs in the forest. A brief helicopter adventure over a raging forest fire is also available by video. The gift shop has a wide variety of novelties and is staffed by friendly and informative people.

The Cradle of Forestry near Brevard and easily accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway close to Mt. Pisgah is one of our favorite local spots. It really is the cradle of modern forestry management in America.Admission is only $5, but admission is free for everyone on Tuesdays and free at all times for National Park Senior Pass holders -- I think the Senior Pass one of the best deals in travel in the U.S.In the visitor center are more than a dozen hands-on exhibits on forestry, including a simulated ride in a firefighting helicopter, which kids love. There are a couple of easy wooded trails for self-guided walking. A 1-mile trail winds through the original forestry school campus, where you can explore a general store, one-room schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, cabins and a vegetable garden. If you only have time to do one trail, this is the one I'd do.Another trail, about 1 1/4 miles long, has a sawmill and 1915 steam locomotive used in logging. This 6,500-acre site within the Pisgah National Forest is devoted to the history of America’s first school of forestry. The school was established by George Vanderbilt who built Biltmore House in Asheville.Vanderbilt hired Gifford Pinchot as forest manager of what was originally the 125,000-acre Biltmore Estate. In the late 19th and early 20th century the Estate extended all the way to Mt. Pisgah and down the mountain to near the town of Brevard.Pinchot later became the first head of the USDA Forest Service and governor of Pennsylvania. After Pinchot left, Vanderbilt hired German forester Dr. Carl A. Schenk to succeed him. Together, Pinchot and Schenk created the modern concept of forestry management and conservation.The bad news is that the Cradle of Forest is only open from April through early November.Adjoining the Cradle of Forestry main grounds are the Pink Beds. The name comes from the rhododendron, mountain laurel and azalea that bloom in the spring and summer. The Pink Beds area has a couple of dozen picnic tables and flush toilets. Admission is free, and it's one of the really good places to picnic near Brevard. However, you can also stop at any of the many pull over areas along Highway 276 and picnic next to a shady creek.The Pink Beds picnic area is open all year, but the restrooms are closed in winter.Also nearby beside the Davidson River is the largest trout hatchery in the state, the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Bobby Setzer Trout Hatchery, with free admission.

We lucked out and arrived on a day that it was free to get in so it was definitely worth the price of admission. But I would have paid to get in very interesting. Nice trails leave right from the center.

The cradle of forestry is only about 5 minutes from sliding rock, so we decided to visit both places in one day. Our boys are 12, almost 9, and almost 5. I would say the indoor museum is best suited for kids between the age of 3-8. The 12 year old was bored. The trail outside that shows the history of forestry in the area and how the men lived was a nice walk and somewhat interesting. The other trail didn't have much to it other than a train the kids could climb up on and sound the whistle - again - better for younger kids. I would recommend a stop if you are in the area and have a little time to kill, but wouldn't consider it a destination on its own. I would also recommend packing a sandwich or driving 14 miles into town to eat rather than eating at the little "restaurant" there.