Upper Bald River Wilderness
The Upper Bald River Wilderness, along with the existing Bald River Gorge Wilderness (designated in 1984) constitutes most of the Bald River watershed. This beautiful and rugged landscape is dominated by hardwood forests and is traversed by the Benton MacKaye Trail, the Brookshire Creek Trail and the Kirkland Creek Trail. These trails are open to and frequented by both hikers and horseback riders. The area is also popular with both hunters and anglers, and is home to sizable populations of black bear, white-tailed deer and native brook trout. The area serves as the headwaters for the Bald River, including numerous tributaries and the upper portion of the river.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Tennessee |
| Size | 9,037 acres |
| Designated | 2018, by Congress |
| Center point | 35.27° N, 84.17° 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
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 9 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.
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Trails
2 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 11 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Brookshire Creek ↗ | 6.7 | |
| Kirkland Creek Trail ↗ | 4.7 |
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
6 mi from the center point · 652 acres
- PrescribedRx - Rymer Camp
18 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
- 6 miJohnson, Elisha, Mansion ↗Tellico Plains, TN
- 9.2 miMason Temple, Church of God in Christ ↗Memphis, TN
- 10.1 miGiddens, L. D., and Son Jewelry Store ↗Goldsboro, NC
- 11.8 miCherokee County Courthouse ↗Murphy, NC
- 11.8 miCooper, Robert Lafayette, House ↗Murphey, NC
- 11.9 miHarshaw Chapel and Cemetery ↗Murphy, NC
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 Upper Bald River Wilderness?
9,037 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Upper Bald River Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Upper Bald River Wilderness in?
Tennessee.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Upper Bald River Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2018.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Upper Bald River 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 Upper Bald River Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 35.265° N, 84.165° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Upper Bald River Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx - Buck Branch at 6 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Upper Bald River Wilderness?
The National Register has 6 listings within 15 miles, including Johnson, Elisha, Mansion and Mason Temple, Church of God in Christ.
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.