Editing McDowell County, North Carolina (section)

==Geography==
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q507811|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of McDowell County}}
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|445.35|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|439.95|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|5.40|sqmi}} (1.21%) 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>

Numerous small creeks and streams flow through the county. The [[Catawba River]] originates in and crosses the county and empties into [[Lake James]]. It flows over [[Catawba Falls]] on its way, which is accessible to the public. Other waterfalls can be found in the county, such as [[Toms Creek Falls]]. Almost half of the county, including the two aforementioned waterfalls, is located inside the [[Pisgah National Forest]].  [[Linville Caverns]], North Carolina's only limestone cavern system open to the public, is located in the far northern part of the county.

Geologically, McDowell County is located within the southern [[Appalachian Mountains]] region. The [[Blue Ridge Parkway]] closely follows the northwestern boundary of the county. McDowell County rises rapidly from the [[Piedmont (United States)]] in its extreme eastern border where elevations average about 1200 feet above sea level, to the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] in the north and west. Its lowest point is 969 feet above sea level along Cane Creek in the county's southeastern corner. Its highest point is Pinnacle—at 5,665 feet above sea level the second-highest mountain (after [[Grandfather Mountain]]) in the Blue Ridge, and also considered the southernmost tip of the [[Black Mountains (North Carolina)|Black Mountains]], the highest ridge in eastern America. Much of the county lies in the [[Foothills (North Carolina)]] region of [[Western North Carolina]].

===National Protected areas===
* [[Blue Ridge Parkway]] (part)
* [[Crabtree Falls (North Carolina)|Crabtree Falls]] (part)
* [[Linville Gorge Wilderness]] (part)
* [[Pisgah National Forest]] (part)

===State and local protected areas===
* [[List of North Carolina state parks#State Natural Areas|Bobs Creek State Natural Area]]
* [[Davidson's Fort|Davidson's Fort Historic Park]]
* [[Fonta Flora State Trail]] (part)
* [[Lake James State Park]] (part)
* [[Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center]]
* [[Pisgah National Forest Game Land]] (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands">{{Cite web |title=NCWRC Game Lands |url=https://www.ncpaws.org/ncwrcmaps/gamelands |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=www.ncpaws.org}}</ref>
* [[Pisgah (WRC) Game Land]] (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands"/>
* [[South Mountains Game Land]] (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands"/>
* [[Wilderness Gateway State Trail]] (part)

===Major water bodies===
* [[Armstrong Creek (North Carolina)|Armstrong Creek]]
* [[Bee Rock Creek (North Carolina)|Bee Rock Creek]]
* [[Black Bear Cove (North Carolina)|Black Bear Cove]]
* [[Broad River (Carolinas)|Broad River]]
* [[Buck Creek (North Carolina)|Buck Creek]]
* [[Camp Creek (North Carolina)|Camp Creek]]
* [[Cane Creek (North Carolina)|Cane Creek]]
* [[Catawba River]]
* [[Cox Creek (North Carolina)|Cox Creek]]
* [[Crooked Creek (North Carolina)|Crooked Creek]]
* [[Jake Creek (North Carolina)|Jake Creek]]
* [[Jarrnett Creek (North Carolina)|Jarrnett Creek]]
* [[Lake James]]
* [[Lake Tahoma]]
* [[Laurel Creek (North Carolina)|Laurel Creek]]
* [[Little Buck Creek (North Carolina)|Little Buck Creek]]
* [[Mill Creek (North Carolina)|Mill Creek]]
* [[Nix Creek (North Carolina)|Nix Creek]]
* [[Catawba River|North Fork Catawba River]]
* [[Rosas Creek (North Carolina)|Rosas Creek]]
* [[Second Broad River]]
* [[Shoal Creek (North Carolina)|Shoal Creek]]
* [[South Muddy Creek (North Carolina)|South Muddy Creek]]
* [[Toms Creek (North Carolina)|Toms Creek]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Mitchell County, North Carolina|Mitchell County]] – north
* [[Avery County, North Carolina|Avery County]] – north
* [[Burke County, North Carolina|Burke County]] – east
* [[Rutherford County, North Carolina|Rutherford County]] – south
* [[Buncombe County, North Carolina|Buncombe County]] – west
* [[Yancey County, North Carolina|Yancey County]] – northwest

===Major highways===
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* {{Jct|state=NC|I|40}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|64}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|70}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|221}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|221|dab1=Marion}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|80}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|126}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|183}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|226}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|226A}}
{{div col end}}