The One Place In North Carolina That Looks Like Something From Middle Earth

As a Lord of the Rings fan, I must say, going to New Zealand and seeing the filming locations has always been on my bucket list. But even if the extravagant travel is out of my range for the next year or so, in North Carolina, there’s one place where you can have your own Middle Earth experience. Luckily, there’s no endpoint with throwing ‘the one ring to rule them all’ into the fiery pits of Mordor; there’s just sheer beauty that is simply out of this world.

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Flickr / Parke Ladd Roan Mountain is located on the TN/NC border. More than one mountain, it's a small chain known as a massif. There are several different hiking option for all levels. Certain parts, with grassy balds and 360-degree views, can resemble the rolling hills of The Shire. Other rocky peaks might make one reminisce on Rohan. The Cloudland Trail seems plucked straight from Fangorn Forest. Ready to start your journey, Frodo? Flickr / Gary Boyd You'll start on the 1.5-mile Cloudland Trail hike. Here, it can seem as if you've entered straight into Fangorn Forest. Flickr / Doug Bradley Dense spruce-fir forest make you feel like you've entered another world. The ecosystem here is very fragile, creating some of the most unique plant life found in western NC. Flickr / Doug Bradley Although you're deep in the forest, I don't think you'll have to worry about any talking trees, or 'tree herders' (like Treebeard) picking you up, although Merry and Pippin did get lucky with that one. Flickr / Susan Smith Once you're out of Fangorn, the rewarding endpoint is Roan High Bluff. At 6,286 feet, it's the second-highest peak on the massif. Flickr / anoldent But why stop there when you're just beginning? While Lord Of The Rings is certainly a journey narrative, there are certain parts that stick out to me in terms of landscape. One of those is in the Two Towers when Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli make their way to Rohan. Flickr / Robert Abergregg Flickr / anoldent While there might not be any towering, rocky, snow-capped peaks, something about reaching the top of the grassy balds on Roan Mountain still reminds me of their trek to Rohan. You can achieve this view from hopping on the Appalachian Trail from Carver's Gap. Flickr / Tommy White Anytime you visit Roan Mountain, reaching the top resembles something magical, something not from our world. Flickr / Alex LeSeur If you've found yourself saying "I feel like I'm in Lord of the Rings," you'll have that same response here. It's hard not to picture the Shire when you reach the peak, with the rolling, green hills...minus the hobbit house or two. Just like Lord of the Rings is centered around the journey, the journey to the top of Roan will take a good hike, but it's so worth it (even if you're not saving Middle Earth).

If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, you’ll appreciate this journey! Have you been to Roan Mountain before? Are there any other places that remind you of Middle Earth in North Carolina?

If you’re looking for more information on Roan Mountain, and the hikes available, read our full guide here!