Georgia US Forest Southtern Natahala Wilderness Area

Description
After the Cherokee were removed from their "Great Blue Hills of God" (the Blue Ridge Mountains), loggers stripped the trees from the land and shipped them out via the railway. The main line of that railway ran along the Nantahala River, and evidence of it still exists in a Wilderness shared by Georgia and North Carolina (see North Carolina, Southern Nantahala Wilderness).

Steep, rugged, reforested country cut by numerous streams and old drainages characterizes the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The streams feed the Nantahala, Hiwassee, and Tallulah Rivers, and the wide non-Wilderness right-of-way along the Tallulah neatly divides the Georgia share of the wildland. The eastern section is the northern portion of Georgia's Coleman River Wildlife Management Area.

In both sections spruce and fir cover the ridges (opened by grass-heath "balds") and mixed hardwoods grow on the slopes. Elevations here are lower than in Tennessee. Several unique bogs support endangered species such as the bog turtle and rare combinations of other species found nowhere else in the world.

Other than four miles of the Appalachian Trail, which runs north-south through the larger western section, you won't find developed pathways on the Georgia side. However, old roadbeds provide hiking access. Off these old roads and deep in the shade of the many trees, where the walking is difficult, you'll find Georgia at her most unspoiled.

North Carolina Entry:
The Cherokee Indians thought of the Blue Ridge Mountains as the Great Blue Hills of God. These original inhabitants named the shady forests and deep, dark gorges Nantahala, or Land of the Noonday Sun. Later settlers saw this same area as fodder for their mills. They removed virtually every piece of good timber that was at least 15 inches in diameter from the main drainages of the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains, what is today Southern Nantahala Wilderness and shared by North Carolina and Georgia (see Georgia, Southern Nantahala Wilderness). It is a land characterized by steep, rugged terrain dissected by many streams and old drainages. Numerous peaks exceed 4,000 feet. Streams feed into one of three rivers: the Nantahala, the Tallulah, and the Hiwassee. Now regrown, the forest cover is lush with spruce and fir on the ridges, broken by grass-heath "balds" and mixed hardwoods lower down.

>Almost all of the developed trails are steep and strenuous, with a rough tread that is sometimes a challenge to find. But few places in the southern United States offer such outstanding backpacking opportunities. Many people wander into the area from the popular adjacent Standing Indian Basin. Thirty-two miles of the Appalachian Trail (AT) pass through the Southern Nantahala, following the ridge crest of the Nantahala Range. In addition to the AT, the most used trails are the Lower Ridge Trail (4.1 miles), Big Indian Loop (8 miles), and Beech Gap (2.8 miles), but I have hiked here in the chill of January in utter silence, seeing nary another human.

Contact - Tusquitee Ranger District - Phone: 828-837-5152
Address: 123 Woodland Dr., Murphy, NC 28906

Contact - Wayah Ranger District - Phone: 828-524-6441
Address: 90 Sloan Rd., Franklin, NC 28734

Area Management
The Southern Nantahala Wilderness is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, set up by the Wilderness Act of 1964 to keep these lands wild. Please use Leave No Trace practices when you visit.

General Wilderness Prohibitions
As in all designated wilderness, motor vehicles, motorized equipment and mechanical transport (including bicycles, carts and wagons) are generally not allowed, and aircraft may not land. Contact the ranger district listed on this page about any exceptions.

The following wilderness regulations are in effect for this area. Not all regulations are in effect for every wilderness. Contact the Forest Service office for more specific information about the regulations listed.

Dogs Restricted - Leased-Under Control

Pets must be on a leash at all times.

Outfitter guide or other special use permits granted by Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest for use in wilderness areas.

Campsite Restriction - In designated sites only

Maximum Group Size: 10 Members

Maximum Length of Stay: 14 DAYS

The priority for the Forest Service during the 1960's and 1970's was to restore badly eroded lands on the Oconee and restore forest health. During the 1960's construction efforts were undertaken to provide developed recreation areas within 50 miles of every major town. Brasstown Bald Visitor Information Center atop Georgia's highest mountain and Warwomen Dell are examples of areas built as a result of this effort.

The next four decades saw increased environmental legislation that governs management of the national forests to protect environmental quality and insure public involvement in the process. Wilderness areas were preserved, Wild and Scenic Rivers designated, and experts in natural resource management were employed to help meet the challenges. While the way we do things have changed many times over the years, our tradition of stewardship--caring for the land and serving people, is the same.