Carl Sandburg
America's "Everyman" Poet
Poet Carl Sandburg lived surrounded by beauty and goats raised by his wife Lillian Sandburg Carl often walked the pastoral farm trails to the top of Glassy Mountain to write his poetry and contemplate.
Autumn, at the height of fall colors is a beautiful time of the year to visit the former home of Carl Sandburg. Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site protects and cares for his 264 acre estate and house, as well as maintaining a herd of goats descended from his wife's award-winning goat herd. Here too is the Carl Sandburg Museum which presents poems by Carl Sandburg as well as his life story.
 Poet Carl Sandburg and his family lived in the house from 1945 until his death in 1967. He wrote for many years in this Flat Rock, North Carolina farmhouse. He frequently walked the farms five miles of hiking trails, often sitting on one of the smooth rocky patches while writing or thinking.
One of the most poputar North Carolina fall colors walks can be found here. It is the 3 mile moderate round-trip hike to the top of Glassy Mountain. The trail through the forest climbs, steeply in some places, 1,600 feet to a smooth rock outcrop at the top, where there is a magnificent scenic view of fall colors. Sandburg often walked to the top of Glassy Mountain to look out over the valley and contemplate.
"Fog"
by Carl Sandburg
The poem Fog, by Carl Sandburg, was written in 1919, many years before he left Chicago and moved to his house in Flat Rock. Yet, we often think of poet Carl Sandburg and the poem Fog on a crisp clear autumn day while admiring the fall colors in the valley below.
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
 Families may prefer to take the easy half-mile walk around the lake, which offers North Carolina fall colors along a level leaf strewn path. There are wonderful views of the Carl Sandburg house surrounded by meadowland sitting on a rise above the blue lake. Children will especially enjoy a visit to the goat barn up past the house where they can pet goats like those once raised by Lillian Sandburg
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is located just south of Hendersonville, in Flat Rock North Carolina. Fall colors walks are popular here, and visiting the hiking trails, museum and goat barn is free, but there is a fee to tour the Carl Sandburg house.
Our Favorite Autumn Foliage Walks
Asheville Fall Colors Walk
Stroll along the rushing Swannanoa River on a leaf strewn path and then circle the fields at Warren Wilson College Farm surrounded by fall colors.
Moses Cone Carriage Road
A favorite family fall color walk around pretty blue Bass Lake surrounded by vibrant fall foliage in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Asheville Arboretum
Take the family on an autumn foliage walk in the gardens with the best fall color plantings, and then walk paths through native woods at the peak of fall color.
Joyce Kilmer Forest
Surrounded by fall colors, walk through an old growth forest with giant 400 year-old poplar and ancient hardwood trees in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.
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