The Birkhead Mountains Wilderness was established by the 1984 North Carolina Wilderness Act, and it covers in the

Uwharrie National Forest Uwharrie National Forest ( ) Talk Like A Tarheel
from the North Car ...

at the northern end of the Uwharrie Mountains, in central

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. The goals are to protect and preserve its natural resources and wilderness character and provide for public use.

History

These mountains are considered to be the oldest on the

North American continent North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. Evidence of early Indians dates back over 12,000 years. The

Catawba Indians The Catawba, also known as Issa, Essa or Iswä but most commonly ''Iswa'' (Catawba: '' Ye Iswąˀ'' – "people of the river"), are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans, known as the Catawba Indian Nation. Their current lands ar ...

inhabited the area when the Europeans began exploring the region in the late 1600s. By 1760 settlement had begun in earnest, opened up by the explorers and traders along the Ocaneechi Trail. The Birkhead family raised a son, John Watson (Watt), who was born in 1858. The that he acquired over the years were made up of many small tenant farms. Thus the mountain range became known locally as the Birkhead Mountains. This old

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

is the core of the wilderness. Evidence of early Indians and settlers can often be found. Federal law protects such sites and artifacts on public land.

Recreation

All trails within the wilderness are designated hiking trails. Travel by horse, motorized vehicle or bicycle is prohibited. No mountain bikes or ATVs are allowed within the wilderness area. Disperse camping is allowed in the Birkhead Mountains Wilderness. Campers are required to stay at least from all streams, creeks, roads and wildlife fields. When using fire rings, campers should disperse the ring before leaving camp. Use of cook stoves is highly recommended. Firewood is available as dead and down in the forest; campers should not cut live trees for firewood. Also hunting is allowed in this area, orange is advisable to wear during the hunting seasons, when hiking the trails. No permanent camps are allowed in the wilderness area. Camping is allowed for a 14-day period within a 30-day time frame. Dogs are allowed as long as they are on a leash and kept under control. Parking is available at Tot Hill Trailhead, Thornburg Trailhead and Robbins Branch Trailhead.

References

External links

Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
Wilderness.net website {{Protected areas of North Carolina IUCN Category Ib Protected areas established in 1984 Protected areas of Randolph County, North Carolina Wilderness areas of North Carolina 1984 establishments in North Carolina

History

Recreation

See also

References

External links