BIG MOUNTAIN RIDGE WILD AREA
Updated 10/24/07
This is an isolated area north of Cherryfield and the
town of Rosman,
close to the Cedar
Rock Wild Area.
|
| Taken from a 1993 Forest Service map of bear habitat,
shown in green if there were any believed to exist in this area. The
greenish area on the NE is part of the Cedar Rock Wild Area.
The orange line is the area proposed for protection. Gray shows private land. Major trails are shown as dashed lines. |
Location: Transylvania County, WSW of Kuykendall Group Campground and NE of US 276. SW of Cedar Rock wild area. Bordered by US 215 on W. See Daniel Ridge map.Access: From Catheys Creek Road (Cty 1338) off of US 64, to FS 471 where it makes a 180 deg. bend W to E. Find trail at tip of bend and follow Negro Prong trail (not maintained, many blowdowns) W to Big Mountain Ridge. Bushwhack the final part to reach ridge. Or on W side, take NC 215 to .75 miles N of junction with Cty. 1326 and find trail up Laurel Branch to E to Big Mountain Ridge and bushwhack connection with Negro Prong trail.
Or take US215 to logging road just south of Macedonia Church Road and walk old logging roads into area to east. Another access is from the Cherryfield area north along Cherryfield and Sawmill Creeks. The area gets some unauthorized ATV use.USGS Topographic Quadrangles: Rosman
Features/Description/Potential:
Surrounded by private property. Very close to the Cedar Rock Wild Area to the NE, separated by the Catheys Creek Road. Dominated by N/S running Big Mountain Ridge, a fine walk with a woods road on top. Many trails and/or old roads shown on topo in area, indicating lots of logging in the past. No old growth reported. Sawmill Creek was found in 2000 to support the rare S. Appalachian genetic strain of native brook trout.
Its size puts it almost at the 5000 acre level of the Roadless Area category, though the Forest Service did not consider it so in 1995.
Recently, in 2001, there has been controversy over a proposal to build a new road through this wild area to provide a shorter, safer, and more convenient road from Balsam Grove to US64 and Brevard. Sierra Club has argued that the existing US215 can be made safe without damaging the national forest. Even if the new road were built, the existing NC215 route would have to be improved, as people still live along it. NC DOT supposedly will reconsider the issue in 2010 or thereabouts.