Ellicott Rock Wilderness
Ellicott Rock Wilderness sits at the southern tip of the romantically hazy Blue Ridge Mountains. Congress designated Ellicott Rock Wilderness in 1975, later expanding it in 1986. The Wilderness uniquely spans three states in Sumter, Nantahala, and Chattahoochee National Forests of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia respectively. It is named after Major Andrew Ellicott who was tasked with the arduous job of locating the 35th parallel to settle a border dispute. On December 26th, 1811, Major Ellicott inscribed the letters "N-G" on a rock along the Chattooga River bank declaring the Georgia-North Carolina border.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| States | Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina |
| Size | 8,300 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.00° N, 83.10° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 6 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 viewpoint. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miSpoonauger Falls ↗Viewpoint · All year
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
8 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 54 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Foothills ↗ | 22.1 | |
| Chattooga Hiking Trail ↗ | 15.4 | |
| Ellicotts Rock ↗ | 7.1 | |
| Fork Mountain Trail ↗ | 4.9 | |
| East Fork Trail | 2.2 | |
| Fork Mountain Trail | 1.2 | |
| Foothills/Chattooga Connector | 1 | |
| Spoonauger Trail | 0.1 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 miEllicott Rock ↗Walhalla, SC
- 3 miHarbison, Thomas Grant, House ↗Highlands, NC
- 3.3 miPlaymore--Bowery Road Historic District ↗Highlands, NC
- 3.6 miBaldwin--Coker Cottage ↗Highlands, NC
- 3.8 miChurch of the Incarnation ↗Highlands, NC
- 3.8 miFirst Presbyterian Church ↗Highlands, NC
- 3.9 miEdwards Hotel ↗Highlands, NC
- 3.9 miHighlands Inn ↗Highlands, NC
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Georgia
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Ellicott Rock Wilderness?
8,300 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Ellicott Rock Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Ellicott Rock Wilderness in?
The boundary crosses Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Ellicott Rock Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Ellicott Rock Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Ellicott Rock Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 34.999° N, 83.102° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Ellicott Rock Wilderness?
The National Register has 28 listings within 15 miles, including Ellicott Rock and Harbison, Thomas Grant, House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.