Editing Haywood County, North Carolina (section)

==Geography==
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q502496|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of Haywood County}}
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|554.5|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|553.56|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.94|sqmi}} (0.17%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2022 |title=2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_37.txt |access-date=September 9, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> It is bordered by [[Madison County, North Carolina|Madison]], [[Buncombe County, North Carolina|Buncombe]], [[Henderson County, North Carolina|Henderson]], [[Transylvania County, North Carolina|Transylvania]], [[Jackson County, North Carolina|Jackson]], [[Swain County, North Carolina|Swain]] counties in North Carolina, and [[Cocke County, Tennessee|Cocke]] and [[Sevier County, Tennessee|Sevier]] counties in Tennessee.<ref name= censusprofile/>

Haywood County lies within the [[French Broad River]] basin.<ref name= vocci/> Since the county's borders follow mountain ridgelines, all water in the county derives from rain fallen over it or from local springs, with no external watercourses crossing its boundaries.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.haywoodchamber.com/edc-business-climate/edc-water/| title = Water| date = March 3, 2015| publisher = Haywood County Chamber of Commerce| access-date = May 26, 2023}}</ref> The [[Pigeon River (Tennessee - North Carolina)|Pigeon River]] originates in Haywood County.<ref>{{cite web|title=Did you know: Fast Facts about Haywood County|url=http://www.haywoodnc.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=169:fast-facts&catid=83:about-haywood-co&Itemid=106|website=Haywood County North Carolina|publisher=Haywood County Government|access-date=July 4, 2017|archive-date=January 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106064008/http://www.haywoodnc.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=169:fast-facts&catid=83:about-haywood-co&Itemid=106|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Haywood County is situated amidst the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] and contains parts of several major subranges of the Blue Ridge, namely the [[Great Smoky Mountains]] in the west and the [[Plott Balsams]] and [[Great Balsam Mountains]] in the south. Notable peaks in the county include [[Cold Mountain (North Carolina)|Cold Mountain]], at {{convert|6030|ft|m}}, [[Mount Sterling (Great Smoky Mountains)|Mount Sterling]], at {{convert|5835|ft|m}}, and Richland Balsam, at {{convert|6410|ft|m}} in elevation. [[Mount Guyot (Great Smoky Mountains)|Mt. Guyot]], the county's highest point at {{convert|6621|ft|m}}, is the 4th highest mountain east of the [[Mississippi River]]. [[Black Balsam Knob]], in the [[Great Balsam Mountains]] in the southeastern section of the county, is the highest [[Appalachian balds|grassy bald]] in the entire Appalachian range. Haywood County is believed to be the highest county (by mean elevation) east of the [[Mississippi River]], with a mean elevation of {{convert|3597|ft|m|0|disp=or}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cohp.org/records/mean_elevation/mean_elevations.html|title=Mean County Elevation Lists|website=cohp.org|access-date=March 15, 2018}}</ref> About 40 percent of the county's land lies within the [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]] and the [[Pisgah National Forest]].<ref name= vocci/>

===National protected areas===
* [[Blue Ridge Parkway]] (part)
* [[Middle Prong Wilderness]]
* [[Mount Pisgah (mountain in North Carolina)|Mount Pisgah]] (part)
* [[Nantahala National Forest]] (part)
* [[Pisgah National Forest]] (part)
* [[Shining Rock Wilderness]]
* [[Waterrock Knob]] (part)

===State and local protected areas===
{{See also|Category:Protected areas of Haywood County, North Carolina}}
* [[Cold Mountain Game Land]]<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands">{{Cite web |title=NCWRC Game Lands |url=https://www.ncpaws.org/ncwrcmaps/gamelands |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=www.ncpaws.org}}</ref>
* [[Harmon Den Wildlife Management Area]] (part)
* [[Nantahala National Forest Game Land]] (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands"/>
* [[Pisgah National Forest Game Land]] (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands"/>
* [[Pisgah View State Park]] (part)
* [[William H. Silver Game Land]] (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands"/>

=== Major water bodies ===
* [[Bald Creek (North Carolina)|Bald Creek]]
* [[Big Creek (North Carolina)|Big Creek]]
* [[Cataloochee Creek (North Carolina) |Cataloochee Creek]]
* [[Cooks Creek (North Carolina)|Cooks Creek]]
* [[Cove Creek (North Carolina Creek)|Cove Creek]]
* [[Crabtree Creek (North Carolina)|Crabtree Creek]]
* [[Jonathans Creek (North Carolina) |Jonathans Creek]]
* [[Fines Creek (North Carolina) |Fines Creek]]
* [[Lake Junaluska (North Carolina) |Lake Junaluska]]
* [[Lake Logan (North Carolina)|Lake Logan]]
* [[Laurel Creek (North Carolina)|Laurel Creek]]
* [[Little Creek (North Carolina)|Little Creek]]
* [[Pigeon River (Tennessee–North Carolina)|Pigeon River]]
* [[Richland Creek (North Carolina) |Richland Creek]]
* [[Rocky Branch Lake (North Carolina)|Rocky Branch Lake]]
* [[Waterville Lake (North Carolina)|Waterville Lake]]