Lost in the Tilted Forest

You are almost always in the middle of a forest when you are on Beech Mountain. The town of Beech Mountain is the highest town east of the Colorado Rockies but it's real claim to fame is the Land of Oz. A formerly abandoned amusement park, dedicated to Dorothy & friends, is perched at the very top of the mountain. A yellow brick road even winds through the mountain pasture as you near the peak. As you gain altitude, the trees begin to take on an otherworldly feel as they start growing at odd angles to combat the wind. These trees wrap around the side of Oz at the very peak of the mountain. 

The Wizard of Oz — and the flying monkeys in particular — always scared me to death but if you are a fan of the books and movies, you should come to Beech Mountain for a visit. The park opens back up for a giant Oz festival once a year (it was last weekend) and the it is open on select weekends over the summer. Even better, you can arrange for a private tour any time of the year and have it all to yourself! If you want to visit Oz and the highest town east of the Rockies, book a few nights at Slopeside, which is just a few hundred feet from the chairlift that takes you straight to the top of the mountain and the Land of Oz.

This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.