2.1 Regional Context

This section examines the County’s local geography, primary transportation corridors, and natural resources (see Map 01: Regional Context, page right).

McDowell County is located in both the Mountain and Foothills regions of Western North Carolina and includes the high peaks of the Blue Ridge and Black Mountains. The County’s diverse topography ranges more than 4,600 feet from the Eastern Continental Divide along its western border to the centrally located Catawba River and the South Mountains located on its southeastern boundary.

The Eastern Continental Divide extends along the crest of the Blue Ridge escarpment and includes the Pinnacle, a 5,665 foot peak and the highest point in the County. The South Mountains rise to an elevation of 2,980 feet and serve as a transition zone between the Foothills and Piedmont regions. The headwaters of numerous creeks and trout streams feed the Catawba River which begins here, contributing to the outstanding water resources of the Catawba River Basin. The Catawba flows easterly across the County until it reaches Lake James and continues east and south to the Atlantic Ocean. A much smaller, more southwestern part of the County contributes to the Broad River Basin.

McDowell County is bounded by Buncombe County on the west and Burke County to the east. Yancey, Mitchell, and Avery Counties all touch its northern border and Rutherford County is found along its southern boundary. Interstate 40 bisects McDowell County from east to west and US Highway 221 provides the primary north to south transportation route. US Highway 70 runs parallel to I-40 and connects the City of Marion and the Town of Old Fort. Asheville and Morganton are located only 30 minutes from the center of the County and Hickory, Brevard, and Boone are within an hour’s drive.

Approximately seventy-five percent of the county is forested, largely on private conservation lands or within the boundaries of the Pisgah National Forest, which alone makes up roughly one third of the land area of the County. The Blue Ridge Parkway follows the ridge of the escarpment along the northern boundary of the County for approximately 34 miles and passes through the community of Little Switzerland. The Mountains-to-Sea, Fonta Flora, Wilderness Gateway, and Overmountain Victory National Historic and State Trails traverse the County east to west and north to south creating a developing regional trail network for outdoor adventurers that live in or visit the area. Approximately seventyfive percent of the county is forested, largely on private conservation lands or within the boundaries of the Pisgah National Forest, which alone makes up roughly one third of the land area of the County.