USFS · Wilderness area · Tennessee

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...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Upper Bald River Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateTennessee
Size9,037 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated2018, by Congress
Center point35.2654, -84.1652
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10)

Boundary map

1 outline

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.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 16 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Show 3 more

4 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 6 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

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?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Birch Branch Campground, 0.1 miles out. 16 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Upper Bald River Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 35.265, -84.165. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Upper Bald River Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 10 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Upper Bald River Wilderness?

6 National Register 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.
  • 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.