Looking for a flat trail yesterday, we visited the next community over and took a stroll around beautiful Lake Junaluska.

Lake Junaluska

Living in a mountainous area, many of our hiking trails can be quite challenging. The youngest members of The Herd still enjoy scrambling over rocks, but the senior members are quite content with a flat stroll. Immediately beside our little town is the community of Lake Junaluska. A walking trail wraps around the beautiful lake – a perfect, flat walk.

Isn’t this pleasant?

In case you are wondering, the lake is named after the legendary Cherokee Chief who saved Andrew Jackson’s life at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend of the War of 1812. Unfortunately, Jackson did not return the favor years later as President which led to the infamous Trail of Tears. Junaluska ultimately returned from Oklahoma. In recognition of his service, North Carolina granted him citizenship and some land (not that that came close to equaling the land taken from the Cherokee people) where he lived until he died at the age of 93 in 1868. As such an influential person in the history of our area, his name appears on several geographic features in our area.

Crossing the Lake Junaluska dam.

Today, the community is the home of the World Methodist Council, so the lake is surrounded with conference meeting areas, lodging, and houses. The gorgeously maintained grounds include the walking trail we were enjoying.

And the humans enjoy the view.