Nantahala, North Carolina  Nantahala Township () is located in North Carolina in the part of Macon County which is west of Wayah Gap. It has a population of 1,711. "Nantahala" is a Cherokee word which means "Land of the Noonday Sun." The area fits its name because in a few spots, the sun's rays only reaches the floors of the Nantahala National Forest when it is directly overhead during the middle of the day. The Cherokee Indians are credited for finding this region in North Carolina. They called their "town" Aquone. This area is now covered with water and known as Nantahala Lake. There is plenty of evidence to prove that other people lived in this area long before the Cherokee Indians were here. There are many Indian villages in the Aquone area, and other similar evidence of other villages throughout the entire Nantahala community. The town of Aquone vanished and was rediscovered by a Spanish Conquistador Hernando de Soto in 1540 and then again by William Bartram in the 18th century. Nantahala receives a majority of its revenue from tourism. The Nantahala National Forest was established in 1920 under the authority of the 1911 Weeks Act and is now an assorted collection of noncontiguous protected land. The 1911 Weeks Act provided authority to acquire lands for national forests to protect watersheds, to provide timber, and to regulate the flow of maneuverable streams. It is the largest of four forests in North Carolina. This forest consists of 100 different species of trees. The forest covers 531,148 acres with elevations ranging from 5,800 feet in Jackson County to 1,200 feet in Cherokee County covering much of the western tip of the state. The Nantahala forest is divided into three districts: Cheoah in Robbinsville, NC, Tusquitee in Murphy, NC, and the Nantahala in Franklin, NC. A part of the Appalachian Trail is in this forest where a lot of people hike. The Nantahala River is located at the end of the Nantahala National Forest. U.S. Route 19 runs alongside the river's course. People use the river for many outdoor activities, including whitewater rafting, kayaking, and fishing. The white water rafting here consists of class I, II and III rapids at different parts of the river. Class I is considered easy and smooth, with occasional sand banks, and has gentle curves.