Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest
Wilderness Fact Sheet
Total Acreage Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest: 1,100,000
Total Designated Wilderness: 78,000
Total Wilderness Study Areas 10th and 11th: 27,500
Wilderness Study Areas 10th District
Harper Creek (Avery/Caldwell Counties) 7,138
Lost Cove (Avery/Caldwell Counties) 5,708
Total 12,846
Wilderness Study Area 11th District
Craggy Mountains (Buncombe County) 2,890
Overflow (Macon County) 3,200
Snowbird (Graham County) 8,490
Total 14,580
Overview:
The last Wilderness legislation for North Carolina was passed in June 1984. This legislation created the Southern Nantahala Wilderness, the Middle Prong Wilderness, added acreage to several Wilderness areas established in previous Wilderness legislation, and created recommendations for five new Wilderness Study Areas (WSA’s), which were approved by the Forest Service in 1987. These recommended areas have been managed as Wilderness since their designation. Activities allowed in Wilderness include hunting, fishing, horseback riding, hiking, camping, and management for rare and endangered species. Not allowed are logging, road building, motorized or mechanized forms of transportation, such as off road vehicles and mountain bikes.