The former, on the western side of the crest, eases out of seclusion until it runs into Wilbur Lake on the edge of the Wilderness. Sheer rock walls herald the blue jewel, and Big Laurel Branch gracefully plunges 50 feet to join the lake. Mixed second-growth hardwoods dominate the forest cover, occasionally sharing turf with yellow and white pines and eastern hemlocks. From Watauga Lake, which forms most of the southern Wilderness boundary, you can see many of the cliffs along the eastern side of the main crest. Just south of Watauga Lake lies Pond Mountain Wilderness.
Hunters come here seeking deer and grouse.