Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness
Joyce Kilmer acquired some fame as a journalist, serving on the staff of the New York Times from 1913 to 1918, but most people remember him as the author of the poem "Trees" ("I think that I shall never see/A poem lovely as a tree"). He died in action in World War I. The 3,800 acres of North Carolina's Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest–perhaps the single most impressive growth of eastern virgin forest in the United States, with many trees hundreds of years old–is a part of Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness and borders Citico Creek Wilderness. Except for its northwestern section preserving the northwestern corner of Nantahala National Forest, this Wilderness is in North Carolina.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| States | North Carolina, Tennessee |
| Size | 19,246 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.41° N, 83.98° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
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 14 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.
Show 4 moreHide
2 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 scenic Driving. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 4 miJoyce Kilmer Road NCSR #1134 ↗Scenic Driving
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
23 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 126 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Benton Mackaye -Cheoah Rd ↗ | 31.2 | |
| Slickrock Creek ↗ | 12.6 | |
| Belding ↗ | 11.4 | |
| Fodderstack Mountain ↗ | 10.3 | |
| Stratton Bald ↗ | 7.5 | |
| Haoe Lead ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Deep Creek ↗ | 6 | |
| North Fork of Citico Trail ↗ | 5.4 | |
| Hangover Lead ↗ | 5.2 | |
| Naked Ground | 4.4 |
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 - Buck Branch
14 mi from the center point · 652 acres
- PrescribedRx - Rymer Camp
33 mi from the center point · 381 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
- under 0.1 miGiddens, L. D., and Son Jewelry Store ↗Goldsboro, NC
- 1.1 miCalderwood Dam ↗Calderwood, TN
- 4.5 miChilhowee Hydroelectric Development ↗Tallassee, TN
- 6.9 miGraham County Courthouse ↗Robbinsville, NC
- 9.3 miHappy Valley School ↗Maryville, TN
- 9.7 miKerr, Macklin, House ↗Maryville, TN
- 11 miClark, Langston, Barn ↗Maryville, TN
- 11.2 miShaddon Mill Site ↗Maryville, TN
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for North Carolina
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Great Day Hikes on North Carolina's Mountains-To-Sea TrailFriends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and Jim Grode, 2020Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness?
19,246 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness in?
The boundary crosses North Carolina and Tennessee.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock 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 Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.411° N, 83.979° W. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is 27 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx - Buck Branch at 14 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (27 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness?
The National Register has 20 listings within 15 miles, including Giddens, L. D., and Son Jewelry Store and Calderwood Dam.
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.