DuPont Forest: A History

by Danny Bernstein

DuPont Forest protects thousands of acres of trees, five lakes and more than one hundred miles of multiuse trails. It attracts hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers from all over the United States, and its six waterfalls have been featured in movies like The Hunger Games and The Last of the Mohicans. All of this natural beauty is easily accessible, increasing its appeal. It took not only the generosity of a multinational company but also Southern Appalachian grit and self-reliance and local activism to make these benefits available to all. DuPont Forest is young, and its future is still unfolding. Author and hiker Danny Bernstein traces the past of DuPont State Recreational Forest and shows its potential.

208 pages, Paperback

Published September 7, 2020

About the author

Danny's new book, DuPont Forest: A History published by The History Press September 2020.
Danny Bernstein is a hiker, hike leader, and outdoor writer. She's been a committed hiker since her early twenties, having completed the Appalachian Trail, all the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the South beyond 6000 peaks, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail across North Carolina and three Caminos de Santiago. She currently leads hikes for Carolina Mountain Club, Friends of the Smokies and the Asheville Camino group.

She’s written two Southern Appalachian hiking guides, "The Mountains-to-Sea Trail across North Carolina" published by The History Press and "Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey through the National Parks of the South" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

In her previous life, she worked in computer science, way before computers were cool, first as a software developer, then as a professor of computer science. Her motto is “No place is too far to walk if you have the time.”

Danny blogs regularly at hikertohiker.com.

Reviews

[Chuck McGrady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not an impartial judge of this book, since I was one of the author's sources. I've spent a lot of time over the last 25 years trying to insure that DuPont State Forest was acquired by the State and then that it was funded and continued to grow. One problem has been that the place can easily get loved to death---too many visitors using the forest in a way that isn't sustainable.

I enjoyed the book for its historical perspective. While I know a lot about its recent history, I knew little about its past. I learned a lot about DuPont Corporation and the past usage and ownership of the property.

This isn't any sort of trail guide, although the author is a hiker who had a goal, like mine, of hiking all of DuPont's trails. While telling the history of DuPont State Recreational Forest, she imparts o a lot of information about its trails, its waterfalls, and other features.

Periodically, the author goes far afield though--like with the chapter on Kiwi Gelato in Brevard. I found that distracting. I also don't share her views on some of the characters who have played various roles in the place now a state forest, including Ben Cart and Jim Anthony. With that said, I enjoyed learning some of details about how the acquisition occurred from Alan Hirsch's perspective. Hirsch worked for Attorney General Easley, who would soon become governor.

I can quibble with the narrative at various points, but I'm looking forward to using the book as a jumping off point for discussions with former DuPont employees. I still don't understand why Sterling Diagnostic sold the property as quickly as it did, leaving money on the table. It still burns me that the State of North Carolina ended up having to pay Jim Anthony the money it paid him, and this book doesn't add any more light to those issues.

The bottom line is that the book is one that people should read if they want an understanding of how DuPont State Recreational Forest came to be.

[Annette]

Thanks to Phil Stewart for the loan!