Gee Creek Wilderness
To the early settlers in South Carolina, the Cherokee Indians lived "over the hills" in eastern Tennessee. People today refer to the region, which includes the southern portion of Cherokee National Forest, as Tennessee Overhill Country. Small Gee Creek Wilderness marks the forest's western border, with the long rise of Starr Mountain to the west and north and Chestnut Mountain to the south. South-flowing Poplar Springs Branch and Gee Creek drain the Wilderness. From a distance, the two waterways appear to cut a V in the otherwise continuous face of the mountains where the drainage lies. Peaceful trails follow Poplar Springs Branch and Gee Creek through hollows dense with hemlock, buckeye, white pine, beech, and rhododendron.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Tennessee |
| Size | 2,559 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.26° N, 84.51° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
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 5 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.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 19 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee Branch Trail ↗ | 7.9 | |
| Starr Mountain Hiking Trail ↗ | 4.9 | |
| Chestnut Mountain Horse Trail | 3.8 | |
| Gee Creek Hiking Trail | 1.9 |
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx - Rymer Camp
11 mi from the center point · 381 acres
- PrescribedRx - Buck Branch
17 mi from the center point · 652 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 3 miEtowah Depot ↗Etowah, TN
- 3.1 miEtowah Carnegie Library ↗Etowah, TN
- 4.9 miTrew General Merchandise Store ↗Delano, TN
- 8.1 miWiggins, William, House ↗Benton, TN
- 8.1 miPolk County Courthouse ↗Benton, TN
- 8.2 miBeth Salem Presbyterian Church ↗Athens, TN
- 9 mi
- 9.4 miChesnutt, James W., House ↗Englewood, TN
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Tennessee
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Gee Creek Wilderness?
2,559 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Gee Creek Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Gee Creek Wilderness in?
Tennessee.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Gee Creek Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Gee Creek 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 Gee Creek Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.263° N, 84.506° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Gee Creek Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx - Rymer Camp at 11 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Gee Creek Wilderness?
The National Register has 23 listings within 15 miles, including Etowah Depot and Etowah Carnegie Library.
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.