| Brown Mountain Lights Brown Mountain, Blue Ridge Mountains North Carolina |
| Photo by TJ Harter |
| Brown Mountain is a low-lying ridge located in the Pisgah National Forest about twenty miles north of Morganton, North Carolina. For perhaps 800 hundred years, the mysterious illuminations known now as the Brown Mountain Lights have been seen there. The lights are small balls that appear irregularly over Brown Mountain; There are literally hundreds of eyewitness accounts of the lights, and have probably been witnessed by thousands. The lights have been investigated twice by the U.S. Geological Survey as well as numerous studies by private groups. It is known that they have been seen by residents of the surrounding area since at least the 19th century, however the Cherokee Indians may have witnessed the lights as early as the 13th century. When present, the Brown Mountain lights can be seen from as far away as Blowing Rock, and have been reported to rise to a fair height above the ridge, before disappearing in a 'silent explosion', like a roman candle. There are several places to get a look, but here are a few of the better vantage points. |
Brown Mountain Overlook - Located 20 miles north of
Morganton, on NC highway 181, 1 mile south of the Barkhouse
Picnic Area near mile-post 20.
Wiseman's View Overlook - Located 5 miles south of the village
of Linville Falls on Kistler Memorial Highway
a.k.a Old NC 105 or State Road 1238.
Lost Cove Cliffs Overlook - Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway,
at mile-post 310, 2 miles north of the NC highway 181 junction.
Morganton, on NC highway 181, 1 mile south of the Barkhouse
Picnic Area near mile-post 20.
Wiseman's View Overlook - Located 5 miles south of the village
of Linville Falls on Kistler Memorial Highway
a.k.a Old NC 105 or State Road 1238.
Lost Cove Cliffs Overlook - Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway,
at mile-post 310, 2 miles north of the NC highway 181 junction.
| Official speculation as to the origin and cause of the lights ranges from 'reflections from moonshine stills' to marsh gases. However, most if not all of these theories can be easily refuted. Obviously, the lights are not the result of any moonshine stills, since modern times has rendered this practice extinct. Also, it is a simple fact that there are no marshes near the area where the lights appear. Of course, scientists are not the only ones who speculate as to where the lights come from. If one reads almost any book about North Carolina mountain folklore, you are likely to find some slightly more superstitious explanations for the lights. One story tells of a pregnant woman murdered by her husband after he falls in love with another woman. He buries her body under a pile of rocks on Brown Mountain, but the very next night mysterious lights appear over the ridge. Haunted by the ghostly lights, he confesses to the murder and leaves town, never to be seen again. According to Cherokee folklore, the lights are the lanterns of the wives of brave warriors killed in battle. They wander the skies above the mountain, forever searching for the souls of their loved ones. This unusual phenomena has captured the imagination of all those who have been lucky enough to witness them. Brown Mountain was even the setting of a 1999 episode of The X-Files. Even to this day, the mysterious lights still appear on a regular basis, and still remain unexplained. |
| Copyright © 2001-2005. [Echo Valley Creations]. |
CPSI was lucky enough to pay a visit to Brown Mountain, even if it was only for one night, in April 2007. We
arrived at approximately 7:30 pm, about half an hour before sunset. It was decided we would set up at the
overlook near mile-post 20 on NC Highway 181, since this seemed to be the closet view according to our map.
At this time, we were the only ones there and proceeded to just take some pictures of the mountain and
surrounding area. Shorty after dusk, others began to arrive at the overlook. Just like ourselves, they hoped
to get a glimpse of this unusual, although not unique, phenomena.
It was rather dark at this point, since the moon was a wanning gibbous. The air temperature was cool, but
there was not much wind and there was no precipitation either. We setup a infrared nightshot camera with
additional infrared enhancements with just the hope of it picking up the lights, even though everything else
within the cameras view just appeared black.
As we waited there, and the night went on, we had yet to see the Brown Mountain Lights. Although, one
older gentlemen parked just a short way from us proclaimed several times to all who could hear him that he
was seeing the lights. However, we and a few others whom we could overhear, could not. Off in the
distance near the mountain there are two, red flashing lights on towers, and a steady white-light located
approximately mid-way between them. Ignoring these...we saw no other lights over or near Brown Mountain.
Apparently they did not want to come out to play this night. Not atypical behavior, however.
We would love to pay another visit to Brown Mountain, hopefully for more than one night.
arrived at approximately 7:30 pm, about half an hour before sunset. It was decided we would set up at the
overlook near mile-post 20 on NC Highway 181, since this seemed to be the closet view according to our map.
At this time, we were the only ones there and proceeded to just take some pictures of the mountain and
surrounding area. Shorty after dusk, others began to arrive at the overlook. Just like ourselves, they hoped
to get a glimpse of this unusual, although not unique, phenomena.
It was rather dark at this point, since the moon was a wanning gibbous. The air temperature was cool, but
there was not much wind and there was no precipitation either. We setup a infrared nightshot camera with
additional infrared enhancements with just the hope of it picking up the lights, even though everything else
within the cameras view just appeared black.
As we waited there, and the night went on, we had yet to see the Brown Mountain Lights. Although, one
older gentlemen parked just a short way from us proclaimed several times to all who could hear him that he
was seeing the lights. However, we and a few others whom we could overhear, could not. Off in the
distance near the mountain there are two, red flashing lights on towers, and a steady white-light located
approximately mid-way between them. Ignoring these...we saw no other lights over or near Brown Mountain.
Apparently they did not want to come out to play this night. Not atypical behavior, however.
We would love to pay another visit to Brown Mountain, hopefully for more than one night.
| A view from the Highway 181 overlook |
| Brown Mountain after sunset |
| There's Jaimie! |
| Just an interesting looking gas station on Highway 181 near the overlook |
| Pisgah National Forest sign |
Here are a few of the more popular Brown Mountain Lights websites