The number of visitors to DuPont State Recreational Forest this year hit 327,000 at the end of October, a historical high, and forest officials said attendance shows no sign of easing up anytime soon.
Publicity surrounding its mountain biking trails, waterfalls and a role in the filming of the popular “Hunger Games” movie has drawn in thousands.
Initial results of a 2012 exit poll conducted by DuPont rangers showed half of roughly 900 visitors surveyed were from North Carolina, 21 percent from South Carolina, 9 percent from Florida and 5 percent from Georgia. But rangers were surprised to find that about 2 percent of DuPont visitors were from California, while other groups came from as far away as China, Great Britain and the Ukraine.
The March premiere of “The Hunger Games” — and subsequent DVD release in August — lured hundreds more visitors hoping to see where star Jennifer Lawrence, who played “Katniss,” crossed Triple Falls and plunged into a pool below Bridal Veil Falls.
Brevard-based Hunger Games Fan Tours sold out all of its main-season events and were half-full for November. Bookings for 2013 tours have already begun filling up.
A second movie, “Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” will wrap up filming next month in Hawaii after shooting scenes this fall near Atlanta. Rangers predict interest in the filming locations — including DuPont — will remain strong among “Hunger Games” fans for years to come.
While good for tourism-related businesses, increased visitation at DuPont isn’t without its downsides. Growing pains at the forest include damage to stream banks and trails from heavy foot traffic, parking lots that regularly overflow onto roadsides and greater numbers of accidents.
In 2006, the forest recorded 20 incidents such as lost hikers, injured tourists and car accidents. In the first eight months of this year alone, there were double that amount, including 13 traumas and five search and rescues.
The beaches of Bald Head Island, NC are featured in new book by nationally renowned local nature photographer and artist, Ken Buckner!
Excerpt from “Favorite Beach Photos” – By Ken Buckner: “Consistently my most popular nature photo year after year, this image was made on the west end of Ocean Isle Beach, N. C. The inviting path to the sea, lined with sea oats and soft dunes reminds the viewer of a pleasant excellence they’ve had or would like to have. I didn’t know at the time that storms (especially hurricanes) can alter barrier islands drastically. They can move or eliminate all the things that are captured in this serene view and that is exactly what happened here. “Dunes Path” became the first photo to make me realize the value of recording transitory beauty. I was fortunate to find this spot and record it for all to enjoy, I loved the golden sea oats, blue shadows, pink sand and the tiny bird tracks going up the small dune in the forground, I built the design around the cactus shapes and still enjoy the sense of depth in the picture from the closest sand grains to the ocean’s distant horizon fine. The photograph portrays a moment of beauty that was and may again be seen in similar form along the ocean’s ever changing shore.”
Excerpt from “Favorite Beach Photos” – By Ken Buckner: “Holden Beach, North Carolina is home to some of the largest Ghost Crabs that I’ve ever seen. Late one afternoon this creature and I seemed to be the only visitors on an east end beach and we spent about two hours together. I noticed that the crab was not only unafraid of me, he (or she) turned to face me as I moved around it in fascination, It occurred to me that I could control the light of the setting sun on the crab without touching it by simply changing my position. Thinking that an eye level approach might be interesting, I got down on my stomach in the sand and used a short telephoto lens to take a really good took. The crab seemed as interested in me as I was in it, perhaps seeing its own reflection in the lens. An encounter like this with what seems an alien visitor with its pod eyes above its head is one of the reasons I enjoy nature so much. The golden light of sunset became everything a photographer could hope for. The photograph provides a look at a creature that is normally shy and reminds me of the communication we had and the sunset we shared that special afternoon at the beach.”
