Blue Ridge Parkway


Blue Ridge Parkway at Devil's Courthouse, and Shining Rock Wilderness Area. Elv. 5660 Weather: Cool, temperature in the low 50's-Alpine Climate Comments: Great Place to bird watch. It is cool up here in a Alpine Forest Zone. There was so many birds at the overlooks. I saw several Warblers that I have not seen before. The Chestnut-sided Warbler is a fast flyer. The Golden Eagle is the most beautiful creature in the world. Their is a nest of the Golden Eagle on the cliffs of Devil's Courthouse with a young adult still ocupieing the nest. They are vocal creature that talk to each other all the time. They are also really big. The first time I saw them, they were at Ceaser's Head State Park migrating back to their summer nest. The park ranger did confirm it was a Golden Eagle. The eagle nested around early May. The nest is located near the side of the Courthouse rock. This is a rare accurance. The Golden Eagle only nests around the Alpine Climate area of North Carolina. Milepost: 422-425 Note: Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway are closed in the winter time when ice is on the road.

Blue Ridge Parkway at Devil's Courthouse, and Shining Rock Wilderness Area.
Elv. 5660
Weather: Cool, temperature in the low 50's-Alpine Climate

Comments: Great Place to bird watch. It is cool up here in a Alpine Forest Zone. There was so many birds at the overlooks. I saw several Warblers that I have not seen before. The Chestnut-sided Warbler is a fast flyer. The Golden Eagle is the most beautiful creature in the world. Their is a nest of the Golden Eagle on the cliffs of Devil's Courthouse with a young adult still ocupieing the nest. They are vocal creature that talk to each other all the time. They are also really big. The first time I saw them, they were at Ceaser's Head State Park migrating back to their summer nest. The park ranger did confirm it was a Golden Eagle. The eagle nested around early May. The nest is located near the side of the Courthouse rock. This is a rare accurance. The Golden Eagle only nests around the Alpine Climate area of North Carolina.

Milepost: 422-425

Note: Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway are closed in the winter time when ice is on the road.

Birds Found on the Blue Ridge Parkway/Devil's Courthouse Area:

Northern Saw-whet Owl
Chimney Swift
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Cedar Waxwing
Tennessee Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Canada Warbler
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Baltimore Oriole

Other Places to Birdwatch on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Richland Mountain Trail
Craggy Gardens Area
Graveyard Fields Trail
Mt. Mitchell State Park

Directions: From I 26, take US 64 to Brevard, NC. Go over the red light at US 276 and NC 280 taking the NC Forest Byway, (US 276) to the top of Wagon Road Gap and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Head toward the Great Smokey Mountains National Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Follow the Parkway to around Mile Post 410 for the Grave Yard Fields Trail, and Mile Post 422 for the Devil's Courthouse parking area. The is a trail to the top of there mountain.

Blue Ridge Parkway Web Page

Top