The US Forest Service has just released a draft plan for WNC’s 1 million acres of National Forest. It opens up 70% of the Forest to logging, including many beloved recreation and backcountry areas. Below are just some of the special places deemed in the draft plan to be “suitable to the purposeful growing and harvesting of crops of trees to be cut into logs”.
Speak out for our National Forests, send your comments TODAY to the Forest Service demanding that the final management plan guides sensible, responsible management of the forests for all who enjoy and depend on them.
Pisgah Ranger District
Multi-use trails
- Trace Ridge
- Spencer Gap
- Spencer Branch
- Fletcher Creek
- Middle Fork
- Bear Branch
- Portions of Laurel Mountain, Pilot Rock, Slate Cove, Bradley Creek
- Hiking trails
- Art Loeb trail (south of Blue Ridge Parkway)
- Bad Fork
- Thompson Ridge
- Cat Gap
- Caney Bottom
- Case Camp Ridge
- Pressley Cove trail
- Clawhammer trail
- Fish Hatchery area
- Daniel Ridge
- Cove Creek
- Farlow Gap
- Kiesee Creek
- Pilot Mountain
- Butter Gap
- Long Branch
- Cemetery Loop
- 475C (sole connection to Brevard via Bracken Mountain trail)
- Black Mountain area
- Black Mountain
- Buckhorn Gap
- Buckhorn trail
- Club Gap
- Bennett Gap
- Avery Creek
- Coontree Loop
- Sycamore Cove
- Thrift Cove
Popular areas
- Courthouse creek/falls
- Kuykendall campground
- Cove Creek campground
Grandfather Ranger District
Trails
- Kitsuma / Young’s Ridge
- Point Lookout trail
- Mountains to Sea trail (east from Table Rock, also Grandmother gap)
- Overmountain Victory Trail (west of Linville Gorge)
- Sand Mountain
Popular areas
- Old Fort picnic area
- Winding Stair Knob / Upper Creek falls
- Boone Fork campground/pond
Appalachian Ranger District
Trails
- Harmon Den / Max Patch area
- Rube Ridge
- Groundhog Creek
- Cherry Creek
- Cherry Ridge
- Cold Springs
- Robert Creek
- Buckeye Ridge
- Shut-in Creek
- Walnut Mountain
- Bluff Mountain
- Betty Place Trail
- Black Mountains area
- Lost Cove Ridge (Black Mountain Campground to Green Knob)
- Mountains to Sea trail (Big Laurel Mountain)
- Woody Ridge
- Colbert Ridge (Carolina Hemlocks campground, Celo)
- Big Ivy (Coleman Boundary)
- Staire Creek
- Bear Pen
- Corner Rock
- Walker Creek
- Elk Pen
- Snowball
- Bald Mountains: Jerry Miller trail / Whiteoak flats
- Unaka Mountain
- Lost Cove
- Devil’s Creek
- Shinbone
Popular areas
- Green Knob fire tower (north side of Blue Ridge Parkway)
- Corner Rock
- Cold Springs/Harmon Den
- Bluff Mountain
- Rocky Bluff Campground
- Rich Mountain Fire tower
Nantahala Ranger District
Trails
- Appletree
- Junaluska trail
- Hickory Branch
- Appletree
- London Bald
- Diamond Valley
- Laurel Creek
- Forest Walk
- Rocky Bald
- Wine Spring
- Rufus Morgan (falls)
- Silver Run falls
- Bartram Trail (Wayah Bald to Franklin)
- Foothills Trail (west of Whitewater Falls)
- Mountains to Sea trail (Balsam Gap to Haywood Gap)
- Standing Indian Recreation Area
- Waslik Poplar
- Park Creek
- Park Ridge
- Park Creek-Ridge Connector
- Kimsey Creek
- Lower Ridge (north of wilderness)
- Long Branch
- Hurricane Creek Loop
- Blackwell Gap Loop
- Thomas Branch
- Panthertown
- Turkey Knob
- Rattlesnake Knob
- Yellow Mountain (Shortoff mountain)
- Glade trail (Ammons branch)
- Slickrock (Ammons branch)
Popular areas
- Standing Indian Campground
- Kimsey Creek
- Appletree
- Cowee Bald
- Fontana Lake
- Yellow Mountain firetower
- Silver Run falls
- Balsam Lake, Lodge
Cheoah Ranger District
Trails
- Tsali
- Right Loop
- Left Loop
- Mouse
- Thompson
- Lewellyn Cove
- Fontana Loop
- Shell Stand Creek
- Swan Cabin
- Yellow Creek Mountain
- Lookout Rock
- Wauchecha Bald
- Belding Trail
- Haoe Lead
- Bear Creek
- Snowbirds
- Billy Top
- Valley River Trail (Old Bartram)
- Cheoah
- Massey Branch Fitness
- Cheoah Trail
- Camp Santeetlah
Popular areas
- Cheoah
- Santeetlah Lake
- Santeetlah Creek
- Fontana Lake
- Tsali
Tusquitee Ranger District
Trails
- Jackrabbit system
- Jackrabbit mountain
- Central loop
- Upper Ridge
- Sneaking Creek
- Burnt Tree Peninsula
- Yotee’s Run
- High Point
- Burrell Cove
- SABA Beach, Spur
- Fires Creek
- Rim trail (western half)
- Chunky Gal trail (portions)
- Rockhouse Creek
- Phillips Ridge
- Huskins Branch
- Shortoff
- Ammon Knob
- Cover Trail
- Omphus Ridge
- Hanging Dog
- Ramsey Bluff
- Ramsey Bend, Connector
- Farmer Top
- Nottely River
- Mingus
- Choga horse trail (Junaluska Gap)
- Benton MacKaye Trail
Popular areas
- Hiwassee Lake
- Hanging Dog campground
- Fires Creek
- Chatuge Lake / Jackrabbit campground