October 1995

The Laurel Fork

This is one of my favorite little rivers along the line, and maybe it's more of a creek than a river. It's the Laurel Fork. Not the Laurel Fork at Hampton, but the Laurel Fork between Shulls Mills and Boone. It emptys into the Watauga River a short distance behind me just east of Shulls Mills. The old right-of-way is across the new highway over to the right. From here it's uphill on one of the steepest parts of the line to the crossing at Hodge's Gap. This is shot from what was the old highway just east of the Watauga River Bridge at the road to Valle Crucis. You can drive down this short section of the old highway which is now just a long driveway. It follows the Laurel Fork and provides access to a few older houses before it dead-ends at the Watauga. It's a nice scenic place to have a house.

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