Nantahala National Forest

Nantahala National Forest, established in 1920, is a national forest located in the American state of North Carolina, and administered by the United States Forest Service. The word "Nantahala" is a Cherokee word meaning "Land of the Noonday Sun." The name is appropriate as, in some spots, the Sun only reaches the floors of the deep gorges of the forest when high overhead at midday. The Spanish Conquistador Hernando de Soto explored the area in 1540, as did William Bartram in the 18th century. The Nantahala River flows through the Nantahala National Forest.

Nantahala National Forest in "The Last Word"
The Nantahala forest, with its many Sun-less spots, made an ideal hiding place for Captain Fischer's band of francs-tireurs during the endgame of the Final War.