Brown Mountain Overlook

Brown Mountain Overlook. Brown Mountain Lights. For hundreds of years, people have seen mysterious lights floating above Brown Mountain, here in Burke County, North Carolina. The lights may be seen from this spot and locations further west such as Rattlesnake Knob near Cold Springs and Wisemas View on the Burke/MeDowell County line., Thousands of people haver witnessed the strange lights, and legends of the lights date back to as early as the year 1200. A single light or hundreds of lights can appeur according to various accounts. The lights are said to float up the ridge and hover above Brown Mountain where they drift about, change color, blink and then disappear., The US Geological Survey, the US Weather Service and the Smithsonian investigated the phenomenon and proposed many causes for the lights. It's been suggested think the lights are simply burning marsh gas, reflected train or automobile lights, city lights or radium rays. But none of the theories have been proven to be the actual case of the lights. , Perhaps the most interesting explanations and the most enchanting are the legends. According to Cherokee legend, in 1200 the Cherokee fought a great battle near Brown Mountain against the Catawba Indians and many warriors died. The lights are said to be the spirits of Cherokee maidens who search in vain for their loved ones. A more recent legend says the lights are caused by the spirit of a heartbroken woman searching the mountain at night by torch light looking for her fiancé who failed to come for her on their wedding day. Another legend tells the story of a young mother-to-be murdered by her wicked husband. The lights materialized to help neighbors find the young woman's body, and still appear today reminding evils that their crimes will be revealed., Whether caused by spirits, reflections or some geological oddity, people still visit Burke County today hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous Brown Mountain Lights., (Captions)What's Nearby? , .Historic Morganton 20 mi. , .Upper Check Falls 2 mi. , .Blue Ridge Parkway 8 mi. , .Linville Gorge and Falls 10 mi. , .Table Rock 12 mi. , .Wilson Creek Visitors Center 12 mi. , .Lake James State Park 24 mi. , As you look east cross the Pisgah National Forest, several peaks are visible. Chestnut (1.2 miles), Little Chestnut (1.8 miles) and Brown mountains (2.4 miles) sit on the boundary between Caldwell and Burke County , Chestnut Mountain also marks tbe corner between Avery, Caldwell and Burke counties. Upper Creek lies in the valley on this side of Brown Mountain and Wilson Creek in the valley beyond.