The Adventure Collective 2019 Asheville Guide Sample | Page 48

48
Fish The North Fork Mills River (Pisgah National Forest)
Formed by numerous feeder creeks high along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the South Mills River becomes fishable for
fly anglers by the time it enters the Cradle of Forestry Historic Area off Hwy. 276. There, this candidate for federal
Wild & Scenic River designation is packed with beaver ponds full of small, wild brown trout. But below the old
gauging station on FS 476, the river widens as it drops over several beautiful cascades, including scenic High Falls. If
backcountry fishing for spooky wild browns and rainbows is your idea of nirvana, the South Mills is heaven on earth.
Access to the interior of the roadless area is via the 12-mile long South Mills River Trail. The stream is classified Wild
Trout and has no closed season.