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{{short description|Mountain in North Carolina, USA}}
{{Infobox Mountain {{Infobox mountain
| Name = Mount Pisgah | name = Mount Pisgah
| Photo = Mount_Pisgah_NC.jpg
| Caption = Mount Pisgah summit | photo = Mount Pisgah (North Carolina) Oct 2016.jpg
| photo_caption = View of Mount Pisgah from the ], October 2016
| Elevation = 5,721 feet (1,744 m)
| elevation_ft = 5,721
⚫ | Range = ]
| elevation_ref =
| Location = ]
| Prominence = | prominence =
| location = ] / ] counties, ]
⚫ | Coordinates = {{coord|35.4255|-82.7569|type:mountain_region:US}}
⚫ | range = ]
⚫ | Topographic map = ] Cruso
⚫ | coordinates = {{coord|35.4255|-82.7569|type:mountain_region:US|display=inline,title}}
| First ascent = |
⚫ | topo = ] Cruso
Easiest route =Hike
| easiest_route = Hike
}} }}


'''Mount Pisgah''' is a ] in the ] and part of the ] of ], ]. The mountain's height is 5,721 feet (1,744 m) and it sits approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of ] at the crossing of the boundaries of ], ], ] and ] counties. The mountain is easily accessible via a hiking trail from ]. '''Mount Pisgah''' is a mountain in the ] and part of the ] of ], ]. The mountain's height is 5,721 feet (1,744 m) above sea level, and it sits approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of ], near the crossing of the boundaries of ], ], ] and ] counties. It is located on the border of Buncombe and Haywood counties, close to the point where Henderson and Transylvania meet them, but not actually within the latter two counties. The mountain is easily accessible via a hiking trail from the ], near the ].


Some people in the area have referred to "Pisgah and the Rat" because the mountain and others nearby are said to look like a ]. Art by Harry Sage appears on the ] of ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/life/2024/06/08/d-hiden-ramsey-and-ashevilles-city-seal-unc-asheville-seal/73956831007/|title=D. Hiden Ramsey's love of WNC mountains, people, led to creating seals for Asheville, UNCA|last=Keller|first=Leslie Ann|work=]|date=June 9, 2024}}</ref>
==History==
Before the ]an ] entered this part of ], these mountains and valleys were the exclusive domain of ] Indians. The Cherokees had their own names for Mount Pisgah and the Pisgah Ridge. The mountain was '''Elseetoss''' and the ridge was '''Warwasseeta''', and around them the land was rich in game and lush with trees and other plant life.


⚫ ==Broadcasting controversy==
The name '''Pisgah''' comes from the ], ] 3:27. The Lord ordered ] to the top of this mountain and told him to look in all directions, thus revealing the ] to the ]. There are at least two stories as to how this Biblical mountain's name came to be applied to this sylvan eminence in Western North Carolina:
{{update section|reason=|date=July 2024}}
The prominent tower in the picture at the crest of Mount Pisgah, on what is known as Pisgah Ledge, is a {{convert|339|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} television ] owned by ], Incorporated, doing business as the ], licensee of ] TV ], transmitting on ] ] 13, from nearby Asheville, North Carolina. It is the highest television antenna east of the ], at {{convert|2814|ft|m|0|sp=us}} above the surrounding valley floor, and {{convert|6023|ft|m|0|sp=us}} above mean sea level, according to the ]. Co-located on the tower is ] 33.x on ] channel 25, ] FM 99.9, ] on 162.400&nbsp;MHz from the ] of the ], and ham radio vhf (146.760 N2GE). From this location, the stations cover the ] ]. Due to the ] of the surrounding mountains, and the much lower and flatter ] (and therefore much greater ]) toward the southeast, the stations actually cover much more of South Carolina than they do North Carolina.


⚫ On May 22, 2001, the ] decided to allow WLOS TV to build a replacement television transmission tower on top of Mount Pisgah. The new tower would have been a lighter-weight tower to support the station's ] antenna that would have replaced the heavier channel 13 analog antenna, fulfilling the government-ordered transfer to ]. The old tower would not have supported both the heavy analog antenna, plus the added weight of a full power digital antenna. The Blue Ridge Parkway and several conservation organizations had opposed building a new tower on the peak located adjacent to the Parkway and repeatedly requested the Forest Service explore alternative locations. In 2009, the controversy was resolved, with the ] and the ] allowing WLOS to maintain its old tower on the summit after the analog antenna was removed, and the station to make needed adjustments to its digital antennas now mounted on the tower.
*In 1776, General ] led an expedition against the ]s. Accompanying this expedition as a ] was one ]. The men of the expedition saw the mountain from the ] valley and saw a rich land around it -- a land of milk and honey, a promised land. James Hall, preacher and soldier, is credited with drawing the parallel with the land that Moses saw from Pisgah and applying the Biblical appellation to this mountain.


⚫ ==Recreation==
⚫ ], 9.5 miles distant]]
⚫ The trail leading to the summit of Mt. Pisgah starts at ] 407 of the Blue Ridge Parkway on the west side of the road at an overlook labeled "Mt. Pisgah Parking". The trail is 1.6 miles long and is of moderate difficulty (sections near the summit can be rather steep). There is a small observation deck near the TV tower at the summit.


⚫ Leading up the mountain from the valley floor, is a still-operating ] that is used to ferry ] to the building. The cable car also ferries engineers during bad weather, for mandatory transmitter work.
*] was a Presbyterian minister who lived and taught in the late 18th and early 19th centuries at what became ] in Asheville. Reverend Newton is credited with naming Mt. Pisgah. Because of the extensive view in all directions over a rich land, Reverend Newton felt there was similarity between this mountain and the one on which Moses stood.


⚫ Also at the Mt. Pisgah Parking area is the Buck Spring ]. A short walk down the Buck Spring Trail brings visitors to a ] exhibit located at the foundation stone remains of the ] hunting lodge.
The first recorded appearance of the name '''Mt. Pisgah''' in North Carolina was in 1808. In this year, part of ] was split off when ] was created, and part of the new county line was along the "ridge dividing the waters of ] and the French Broad River, to the top of Mount Pisgah."


⚫ On the east side of the Parkway at ] 407 is the Mt. Pisgah Picnic Area. The picnic area includes grills, tables and restroom facilities. All are ]/].
] was a ], ]man, ], ] General, and somewhat given to controversy. He left his mark the ''history'' of Western North Carolina through his famous argument with Dr. ] (for whom ] was named) and his mark on the ''land''. ] in the ] is named for him. He has been described as "an intrepid man of most arrogant and aggressive character, greatest self-confidence, unlimited assurance, prodigious conceit, stupendous aspiration, immense claims, more than common ability, no considerable attainment or culture, great boastfulness, and much curiosity."<ref name="isbn0-87049-806-1">{{cite book |author=Frome, Michael |title=Strangers in high places: the story of the Great Smoky Mountains |publisher=University of Tennessee Press |location=Knoxville |year=1994 |pages= |isbn=0-87049-806-1 |oclc= |doi=}}p103</ref> Mr. Clingman owned 300 acres (1.2 km²) on and around the top of Mt. Pisgah. He owned this land from the 1830s until shortly before his death in 1897, when he sold this land to ].


⚫ The Pisgah Inn Lodge Restaurant and Country Store, as well as the Mt. Pisgah ] is located at milepost 408 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Several other trails can be accessed from the campground or the Inn.
George Washington Vanderbilt was the grandson of the "commodore" ]. Mr. Vanderbilt began buying land south of ] in 1888, and by the time he finished, he owned about 125,000 acres (506 km²), including Mt. Pisgah. Near Asheville, he built his famous ], the grounds of which ] landscaped.


==Gallery==
Two other famous names are associated with Vanderbilt and ]. In 1891, ], recently returned from studying forestry in ], became Chief Forester of Biltmore. Here, with Mr. Vanderbilt's strong support, he introduced scientific forestry to the United States. In 1898, Pinchot was named head of the Forestry Division of the ].
<gallery>
⚫ File:Mount Pisgah from Black Balsam Knob 2007.jpg|View from ], 9.5 miles distant
Image:Mount Pisgah from NC 151, Oct 2016 1.jpg|Viewed from ]
Image:Mount Pisgah, NC radio tower, October 2016.jpg|Mount Pisgah summit, with broadcast tower
</gallery>


==See also==
Dr. ] of the ] came to the United States to succeed Pinchot. When Dr. Schenck came to this country, there were fewer than half dozen trained foresters, and all had studied forestry in ]. There was no place in the United States to study forestry.
*]

With George W. Vanderbilt's support, Dr. Schenck founded the ] in 1898. Classes first met in the village of Biltmore, upstairs in what is now the headquarters of the Biltmore Company. This building is a Registered ]. The field school for the Biltmore Forestry School was near the foot of Mt. Pisgah. The ] has done an excellent reconstruction of this school at the ].

In 1911, the ] passed the ]. This monumental piece of legislation permitted the U.S. Forest Service for the first time to purchase forest lands. In 1914, the Forest Service purchased nearly 80,000 acres (320 km²), including Mt. Pisgah, from ] as a part of what is now the 479,000 acre (1940 km²) Pisgah National Forest.

In the Mount Pisgah area, the Vanderbilts kept 471 acres (1.9 km²) in Buck Springs Gap, about a mile (2 km) from Pisgah Inn. Here George W. Vanderbilt had constructed a popular log hunting lodge. The main lodge had four bedrooms, breezeway-connected building had two two-bedroom suites, and the kitchen/dining building was connected to the other two. There were several buildings near these buildings. Mr. Vanderbilt built ] just before the turn of the century, and the others were razed in 1961.

The Mt. Pisgah area has been a popular resort area for a number of years. The first opened about 1918. This rustic old Inn was a welcome journey's end for thousands of travelers escaping from the heat of the lowlands in the summer. Development of the modern began in the early 1960s. The original Inn was disassembled in 1990 due to safety concerns.

Most of the ] in this area was built across land transferred from the U.S. Forest Service. The exception was the 471 acres (1.9 km²) around ]. The State of North Carolina purchased the land and the lodge in 1959 and transferred the land to the United States] for the construction of the ]. The Blue Ridge Parkway through the Mt. Pisgah area was opened for travel in the mid-1960s. The present was built in 1964.

⚫ ==Broadcasting controversy==
The tower in the picture at the crest of Mount Pisgah is a 339 foot tall television broadcast tower owned by Chesapeake Television, Incorporated, doing business as the Sinclair Broadcast Group, licensee of ], Channel 13, in nearby ]. It is the highest television antenna east of the Mississippi River, at 2,814 feet above the surrounding valley floor, and 6,023 above mean sea level, according to the Federal Communications TV License Division. Co-located on the tower is ], Channel 33, and WKSF-FM99.9.

⚫ On May 22, 2001, the United States Forest Service decided to allow WLOS-TV to build a replacement television transmission tower on top of Mount Pisgah. The new tower was to support the station's government-ordered transfer to ], as the old tower would not support the added weight of a full power digital antenna. The Blue Ridge Parkway and several conservation organizations have opposed building a new tower on the peak located adjacent to the Parkway and have repeatedly requested the Forest Service explore alternative locations. As of this writing, Sinclair has not yet erected a new tower, but has side-mounted a low power digital antenna on the same tower in the picture above, that weighs far less than the one the station is supposed to have. While the tower controversy continues, the WLOS-TV digital signal is not at the full power allocated to it by the ], but until the tower controversy is settled, the station's lower digital transmission is being permitted, to meet the federal mandate of digital transmission by all TV stations by 2009.

⚫ ==Recreation==
⚫ The trail leading to the summit of Mt. Pisgah starts at milepost 407 of the Blue Ridge Parkway on the west side of the road at an overlook labeled "Mt. Pisgah Parking" The trail is 1.6 miles long and is of moderate difficulty (sections near the summit can be rather steep). There is a small observation deck near the TV tower at the summit. The view is spectacular.

⚫ At the base of the TV tower, follow the huge, thick cables down to the ] transmitter building. Leading up the mountain from the valley floor, is a still-operating cable car that is used to ferry broadcasting equipment to the building. The cable car also ferries engineers during bad weather, for mandatory transmitter work.

⚫ Also at the Mt. Pisgah Parking area is the Buck Spring trailhead. a short walk down the Buck Spring Trail brings you to a historic exhibit located at the foundation stone remains of the ] Hunting lodge.

⚫ On the east side of the Parkway at milepost 407 is the Mt. Pisgah Picnic Area. The picnic area includes grills, tables and restroom facilities. All are ADA/handicapped accessible.

⚫ The Pisgah Inn Lodge Restaurant and Country Store, as well as the Mt. Pisgah Campground is located at milepost 408 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Several other trails can be accessed from the campground or the Inn.


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}}
<references/>


==External links== == External links ==
*{{Commons category-inline|Mount Pisgah (North Carolina)}}
* *
* *
*
{{Mapit-US-cityscale|35.4255|-82.7569}}

{{Protected Areas of North Carolina}}
{{Mountains of North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}


]
]
]
] ]
]
]

Latest revision as of 00:29, 21 July 2024

Mountain in North Carolina, USA
Mount Pisgah
View of Mount Pisgah from the Blue Ridge Parkway, October 2016
Highest point
Elevation5,721 ft (1,744 m)
Coordinates35°25′32″N 82°45′25″W / 35.4255°N 82.7569°W / 35.4255; -82.7569
Geography
LocationBuncombe / Haywood counties, North Carolina, U.S.
Parent rangeAppalachian Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Cruso
Climbing
Easiest routeHike

Mount Pisgah is a mountain in the Appalachian mountain range and part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, United States. The mountain's height is 5,721 feet (1,744 m) above sea level, and it sits approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Asheville, near the crossing of the boundaries of Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Transylvania counties. It is located on the border of Buncombe and Haywood counties, close to the point where Henderson and Transylvania meet them, but not actually within the latter two counties. The mountain is easily accessible via a hiking trail from the Blue Ridge Parkway, near the Pisgah Inn.

Some people in the area have referred to "Pisgah and the Rat" because the mountain and others nearby are said to look like a rat. Art by Harry Sage appears on the city seal of Asheville, North Carolina.

Broadcasting controversy

This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: WLOS' transmitter and tower are relocating. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (July 2024)

The prominent tower in the picture at the crest of Mount Pisgah, on what is known as Pisgah Ledge, is a 339-foot-tall (103 m) television broadcast tower owned by Chesapeake Television, Incorporated, doing business as the Sinclair Broadcast Group, licensee of WLOS TV 13.x, transmitting on VHF channel 13, from nearby Asheville, North Carolina. It is the highest television antenna east of the Mississippi River, at 2,814 feet (858 m) above the surrounding valley floor, and 6,023 feet (1,836 m) above mean sea level, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Co-located on the tower is WUNF-TV 33.x on UHF channel 25, WKSF FM 99.9, WXL56 on 162.400 MHz from the Greenville/Spartanburg office of the National Weather Service, and ham radio vhf (146.760 N2GE). From this location, the stations cover the western Carolinas media market. Due to the terrain shielding of the surrounding mountains, and the much lower and flatter Piedmont (and therefore much greater height above average terrain) toward the southeast, the stations actually cover much more of South Carolina than they do North Carolina.

On May 22, 2001, the United States Forest Service decided to allow WLOS TV to build a replacement television transmission tower on top of Mount Pisgah. The new tower would have been a lighter-weight tower to support the station's digital TV antenna that would have replaced the heavier channel 13 analog antenna, fulfilling the government-ordered transfer to digital transmission. The old tower would not have supported both the heavy analog antenna, plus the added weight of a full power digital antenna. The Blue Ridge Parkway and several conservation organizations had opposed building a new tower on the peak located adjacent to the Parkway and repeatedly requested the Forest Service explore alternative locations. In 2009, the controversy was resolved, with the FCC and the U.S. Department of the Interior allowing WLOS to maintain its old tower on the summit after the analog antenna was removed, and the station to make needed adjustments to its digital antennas now mounted on the tower.

Recreation

The trail leading to the summit of Mt. Pisgah starts at milepost 407 of the Blue Ridge Parkway on the west side of the road at an overlook labeled "Mt. Pisgah Parking". The trail is 1.6 miles long and is of moderate difficulty (sections near the summit can be rather steep). There is a small observation deck near the TV tower at the summit.

Leading up the mountain from the valley floor, is a still-operating cable car that is used to ferry broadcasting equipment to the building. The cable car also ferries engineers during bad weather, for mandatory transmitter work.

Also at the Mt. Pisgah Parking area is the Buck Spring trailhead. A short walk down the Buck Spring Trail brings visitors to a historic exhibit located at the foundation stone remains of the George Vanderbilt hunting lodge.

On the east side of the Parkway at milepost 407 is the Mt. Pisgah Picnic Area. The picnic area includes grills, tables and restroom facilities. All are ADA/handicapped accessible.

The Pisgah Inn Lodge Restaurant and Country Store, as well as the Mt. Pisgah Campground is located at milepost 408 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Several other trails can be accessed from the campground or the Inn.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. Keller, Leslie Ann (June 9, 2024). "D. Hiden Ramsey's love of WNC mountains, people, led to creating seals for Asheville, UNCA". Asheville Citizen-Times.

External links

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