Brushy Mountains (North Carolina) facts for kids
The Brushy Mountains are a small mountain range in northwestern North Carolina. They are like a "spur" or a smaller branch of the much larger Blue Ridge Mountains. The Yadkin River valley separates them from the main Blue Ridge range. These mountains have been worn down by time and weather. They stretch from the southwest to the northeast. They cross five counties in North Carolina: Caldwell, Alexander, Wilkes, Iredell, and Yadkin.
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What are the Brushy Mountains Like?
The Brushy Mountains help divide the water flow for two of central North Carolina's biggest rivers: the Yadkin River and the Catawba River. The range is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) long. However, it is only 4 to 8 miles (6 to 13 kilometers) wide.
Highest Points and Landmarks
The highest point in the Brushy Mountains is Pores Knob. It stands 2,680 feet (817 meters) tall and is located in Wilkes County. Other important peaks in the range include Hibriten Mountain in Caldwell County. This mountain marks the western end of the Brushy Mountains. It is a well-known landmark in the city of Lenoir, North Carolina.
Hickory Knob is the highest point in Alexander County, North Carolina. Fox Mountain is the highest point in Iredell County, North Carolina. Locals often call these mountains "the Brushies." They usually rise 300 to 800 feet (91 to 244 meters) above the land around them. Only a few peaks rise more than a thousand feet above their base. The forests on these mountains are part of the Southeastern mixed forests ecoregion.
What Makes the Brushies Special?
The Brushy Mountains are mostly known for their many fruit orchards. People celebrate the harvest with fun festivals.
Festivals and Traditions
On the last Saturday in July, the Brushy Mountain Peach and Heritage Festival takes place. It is hosted by the Community Center in Downtown Wilkesboro. On the first Saturday in October, the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival is held in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The Brushy Mountain Ruritan Club hosts this event each year to celebrate the apple harvest.
Local History and People
This region was also once known for making homemade drinks that were not allowed by law. Some of the first stars of stock-car racing in the 1940s and 1950s got their start in this business in the Brushy Mountains.
James Larkin Pearson was a newspaper publisher and editor. He served as North Carolina's official Poet Laureate from 1953 to 1981. He was born and grew up in the Brushy Mountains. He lived there his whole life. Much of his poetry was inspired by his life in the Brushy Mountains.
- North Carolina: The History of a Southern State, Hugh Talmadge Lefler & Albert Ray Newsome, authors. University of North Carolina Press, 1973.
