Travel to the Movie: Hunger Games

This summer North Carolina is expecting flocks of tourists coming to view the attractive mountains after watching the movie; "The Hunger Games" as it was filmed in the region.  The Appalachian mountain range and thick forests provided the perfect location needed for the futuristic world that is the setting for The Hunger Games trilogy.

When the movie was filmed in various locations around North Carolina in 2011, the sensation was still growing but since the movie premiered in late March of 2012, the movie has gone viral.

One of the locations used most in the movie is the DuPont State Forest found in North Carolina.  This forest is about a 60 minute drive from Asheville.  With nearly 1, 500 kilometers of hiking trails and a three-hour roundtrip hike takes you to three soaring waterfalls.  As well as the waterfalls, the isolated landscape paints the perfect picture for the movie, particularly the competition scenes. While you’re in Asheville, make sure to stop by the Lexington Avenue Brewery for pints of local beer or chef, William Dissen, at the Market Place in downtown Asheville. The cast and crew of the movie ranted and raved about Chef Dissen’s mac and cheese with peas and prosciutto is something to die for.

Along the trails, visitors can spot the pond where the main character, Katniss Everdeen, found tranquility from the Hunger Games.  Depending on which trail you may take to visit, you can still see some of the burnt trees in the DuPont State Forest Months from the fireball attacks.

Another location used quite a bit in the Hungry Games movie is the Henry River Mill Village in Hildebran.  Before the movie, this area already had its claim for fame as being a ghost town with dilapidated wooden homes containing hollowed out windows and doors. This abandoned village paints the perfect picture of the dreary District 12 which is the home of Katniss and her Game competitor, Peeta.

For scenes of the commanding Capitol, the film makers also shot these scenes in North Carolina’s largest city, Charlotte which currently has the population of nearly 750, 000 people. If you have ever been to the Charlotte Convention Centre, I’m sure can picture of the architecture of this building if the perfect setting for the futuristic Capitol, as the book’s author, Suzanne Collins.