Wilderness Connect

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The Upper Bald River Wilderness, along with the existing Bald River Gorge Wilderness (designated in 1984) constitutes most of the Bald River watershed. This beautiful and rugged landscape is dominated by hardwood forests and is traversed by the Benton MacKaye Trail, the Brookshire Creek Trail and the Kirkland Creek Trail. These trails are open to and frequented by both hikers and horseback riders. The area is also popular with both hunters and anglers, and is home to sizable populations of Black Bear, White-tailed Deer and native Brook Trout. The area serves as the headwaters for the Bald River, including numerous tributaries and the upper portion of the river. Tributary streams including Brookshire Creek, Kirkland Creek, and Waucheesi Creek are part of an important and popular trout fishery that includes the entire Bald River drainage and the Tellico River. The area is also home to a dizzying array of flora and fauna, the type that makes the southern Appalachian Mountains a biologically diverse temperate forest.

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Upper Bald River Wilderness.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.

Location

Maps

Digital and paper maps are critical tools for wilderness visitors. Online maps can help you plan and prepare for your visit ahead of time. You can also carry digital maps with you on your GPS unit or other handheld GPS device. Having a paper map with you in the backcountry, as well as solid orienteering skills, however, ensures that you can still route-find in the event that your electronic device fails.

Online Maps

Interactive Map of the Upper Bald River Wilderness
Google Earth

Tennessee Wildernesses

Printed Maps

Fetching MyTopo from Database

USGS Store

Rules & Regulations

Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited in all wilderness areas. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters.

Wilderness-Specific Regulations

Learn more about why regulations may be necessary in wilderness.

Contacts

Applicable Wilderness Law(s)

Public Law 115-334

Date: December 20, 2018
Acreage: 9,038 acres

Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 - Public law 115-334 (12/20/2018) To provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023, and for other purposes.

For more information (To download or see all affected Wilderness areas) visit our law library for 115-334 or special provisions for 115-334 or legislative history for 115-334.

Want to Volunteer for Wilderness?

People who volunteer their time to steward our wilderness areas are an essential part of wilderness management. Contact the following groups to inquire about volunteer opportunities. Groups are listed alphabetically by the state(s) in which the wilderness is located.