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| Picture by Kolohe |
Before we arrived in North Carolina, I had read about the mysterious Brown Mountain Lights just outside of Morganton; so we decided this would be an interesting RonnieAdventure while we were in the area.
For centuries people have occasionally reported strange lights on Brown Mountain that cannot be explained. The lights are not man-made or any obvious natural phenomenon. Most people do not ever see the lights because they do not appear at any particular time; and when they do appear, they typically only last for a few seconds. However, on a few occasions the images have been captured by photographers.
One man claims that he was in the forest one night and one of the lights came up to where he was standing. When he reached out and touched the light, he received an electric shock, and then the light darted away.
A local resident, Joshua P. Warren, started studying the lights when he was a teenager and has spent decades camping on the mountain seeking answers to the mysterious lights. He has also conducted paranormal investigations around the world, authored 15 books, and appeared on the Travel Channel, History Channel, Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, Animal Planet, TLC and SyFy.
No one really knows what the lights are, but in one of Mr. Warren's publications he states: "If we strip away all of the opinions, we ultimately have a place where, for over a century, humans from all walks of life have essentially described something simple: weird lights on a dark mountainside. The geologists focus on piezelectricity. The chemists focus on gas. The astronomers focus on optical illusions. The physicists focus on plasma. The spiritualists focus on ghost. The UFO hunters focus on flying saucers. And the conspiracy buffs focus on mind-bending plots. Yet all the while, the songwriters, poets, and artists are just as inspired by their own, personal multi-colored visions. The mountain is a phantasmagoria of strange tales, but ultimately, it is a vast blank slate. It is a tracing board for all manner of human adventure, exploration, wonder and imagination. Regardless of what they are, the mere concept of the Brown Mountain Lights makes them important. And in this internet age, when the whole universe seems right at our fingertips, how refreshing it is to have a good, old-fashioned mystery still quietly waiting to be solved, right her, in our own backyards."
When we arrived in Morganton, we stopped by the visitor center to obtain information about the area. We found that the visitor center staff was very friendly and helpful. They gave us a detailed pamphlet on the Brown Mountain Lights and provided us with maps and information about other attractions in the area. (A free pdf version of the Brown Mountain Lights pamphlet is downloadable from the web at www.JoshuaPWarren.com.)
While we were in the visitor center, we could not help but notice some Brown Mountain items. One government Top Secret document on the wall described an "Alien Abduction" and another item in the corner of a room was described as an unidentified, mummified animal carcass with large feet and eyes.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The Historic Burke County Courthouse was located directly across the street from the visitor center, so we walked across the street to take pictures.
Senator Sam Ervin was born in Morganton, and his statue stands in front of the Courthouse. Located beside the statue of Ervin, was the Morganton Community Mandala. A placard stated: "Morganton's Community Mandala is a geometric configuration of cultural symbols representative of our community, its history, and natural resources. Traditionally, mandalas are used in spiritual practices for focusing attention on practitioners in establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation. The mandala's purpose is to help transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones and to assist with healing."
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Also located on the Courthouse lawn was a nice veterans memorial and some modern art works.
As we were leaving town, we noticed a Camp Vance Historical Market by the side of the road. The marker explained that Camp Vance, named for Col. Zebulon Vance, war governor, was a troop training camp from 1861-1864. In 1864, the camp was raided by Federal Troops, which closed the facility. The site is now developed with the Pleasant View Baptist Church.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The visitor center staff recommended we visit McGalliard Falls Park, which was a great suggestion.
Located in the park are picnic facilities, restrooms, volleyball court, nature trails, historic grist mill, beautiful 45-foot waterfall, and a suspension bridge.
The grist mill was constructed in 1906 to grind corn and wheat for people that lived in the community. Then, in 1916, a large flood destroyed the waterwheel, so the mill was converted to turbine power until the mill was closed in the 1940s. The waterwheel has since been restored, but the mill is not currently in operating condition or open to the public.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
On our hike back to the picnic area, there were some concrete structures that appeared to be part of an aqueduct; but there were no placards stating what they had been used for.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
From the picnic area, there is a one-mile-round-trip trail that leads to a 160-feet-long suspension bridge that passes over a small stream. The bridge was constructed in 2022, and connects the McGalliard Falls Park to Valdese Lakeside Park and Rhodhiss Lake. Rhodhiss Lake has some of the cleanest water in the area and is the water source for several towns and communities.
Along the trail, there are frequent rest stops with benches overlooking the waterfall stream. Plants in the area were still dormant and the trees did not have leaves, but I'm certain that this would be a beautiful hike during the summer months.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Once we reached the bridge, there was a nice picnic area overlooking the stream and suspension bridge. When we walked across the bridge, we had a little extra "bounce" in our steps.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
