When I think of a movie set, the first thing that usually pops into my mind is the large production studios like Universal Studios Hollywood. But did you know that you can visit a beautiful filming location of a popular movie right here in North Carolina just a short drive from Hickory? And while there, you can enjoy an array of outdoor activities with the family like hiking, biking and waterfall viewing.
The place is DuPont State Recreational Forest in Cedar Mountain, NC, located south of Asheville and between the towns of Hendersonville and Brevard. This is where many of the outdoor scenes of the 2012 blockbuster The Hunger Games were filmed. Based on the young adult novel by Suzanne Collins and the first installment of The Hunger Games trilogy, the story takes place in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future in the nation of Panem, where boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18 must take part in the Hunger Games, a televised annual event in which the "tributes" are required to fight to the death until there is only one survivor. If you or your kids have read the book or seen the movie, a tour of the filming locations at DuPont Forest would make a fantastic day trip out in nature.
We hike a lot as a family, often to chase one of the beautiful waterfalls of Western North Carolina, or beyond (we've hiked to over 200 falls within 2-4 hours of home). I recommend making the trip to Dupont with your bikes, as many of the trails within the forest are wide, level gravel roads. There are over 82 miles of trails and roads in this 10,473 acre forest, North Carolina's first recreational state forest, founded in 1997. It is open to the public seven days a week year-round from 5am to 10pm. There are six parking lots within the forest with public restrooms and information available at the park's visitor center. No camping is allowed within the park; nearest overnight accommodations can be found in Hendersonville or Brevard.
With five mountain lakes, 6 waterfalls and a scenic covered bridge, DuPont State Forest is a beautiful place to spend a day outside. The highlights are 4 major waterfalls, 2 of which were featured in the Hunger Games movie.
Triple Falls - where Katniss is tracking Peeta after he is injured.
Bridal Veil Falls - where Katniss jumps in a pool of water after being burned.
Other falls in the park, pictured above from left to right:
Hooker Falls
Wintergreen Falls
High Falls
Grassy Creek Falls
For more information about DuPont State Recreational Forest, including directions and trail maps, visit http://www.dupontforest.com/. To learn more about The Hunger Games filming locations in North Carolina, visit RomanticAsheville.com and the four-day itinerary on visitnc.com.
