Taken from a 1993 Forest Service map of bear habitat, shown in green. The orange line is the area proposed for protection in The Wilderness Society's "NC Mountain Treasures. Dark gray shows private land. Major trails are shown as dashed lines.

CHEOAH BALD (Cheoah Dist.), 8041 acres

Location:  Graham and Swain Counties, SW of Bryson City, E of Robbinsvile, W and SW of Wesser along the Nantahala Gorge.

Access:  Follow AT N and W from US 19 crossing at Wesser.  Also via the AT SE from where NC 143 goes through Stecoah Gap.  Can access Ledbetter Creek on S side of wild area from US 129 to junction with Cty 1200, and taking the first right fork as far as drivable, then walking on the old roadbed to the creek about where USFS land begins.  The left fork (4-wheel drive only) goes N through private land and meets a closed road in the National Forest about 1+ miles SSW of Little Bald.

USGS Topographic Quadrangles:  Hewitt, Wesser

Features/Description/Potential:  One of the largest unroaded areas left, and the subject of the first EIS on timber cutting (Grassy Gap Sale) and an appeal by Sierra and Wilderness Soc. AT runs over Cheoah Bald, the "grandstand of the Appalachians".  From the Bald there are sweeping views to the N of the Smokies, Stecoah and portions of Lake Fontana, to the NW the Yellow Mtns, Joyce Kilmer and Snowbird, to the S the Wesser/Tellico/Wayah ridge, Piercy Bald, Ash Cove, and Tusquitee.  There are chestnut trees that produce fruit near the headwaters of Ledbetter Creek.  A scouting trip up the Ledbetter Creek drainage showed fresh (9/92) roading and wildlife clearing activity about 2000 ft. S of Little Bald on the gated portion of FS259.  Turkey, bear, fox, deer, rabbit and mink tracks were seen in the snow on one scouting trip. The NC Bartram Trail runs from Winding Stairs Gap on the Nantahala River up Ledbetter Creek to the summit of Cheoah Bald.  For trail details see John Ray and Malcolm Skove's Bartram Trail Guide for the Nantahala Forest published in 2001.  (Obtain copies from Ray at 1190 Old Seneca Road, Central, SC, 29630.  email:  jrrarah@mindspring.com).  Southward this trail connects into the Piercy Bald/Appletree area and thence to Tusquitee Bald.
 The N portion of the old RARE II area was severely impacted by a timber sale road (the Shellstand Road) in recent years.  Portions of the road slid away due to steep slopes and poor construction.
Features:
- Cheoah Bald at 5062 ft.
- Outstanding vistas in all directions
- Nantahala Gorge along SE boundary
- AT bisects wild area,
- Trail connections all the way to the S. Nantahala Wilderness  via Piercy Bald, Tusquitee Bald, and Chunky Gal/Boteler Peak RA.; or via Wesser           Bald RA along the AT
- Sassafrass Gap AT shelter with good water
- Panther Creek, Stecoah Creek, Bert Creek, Bear Creek drainages
- Some old growth stands (FS reports 100+ year stands on ridgeline followed by AT to Cheoah Bald, upper reaches of Bert Creek and Ledbetter Creek, the ridge E of Mudcut Creek (just SE of Cheoah Bald), and a large block at the river SE of the Jump-up. Another large block lies at Grassy Gap near the AT.
 A Sierra Club/Wilderness Society/Wildlife Federation appeal of the Grassy Gap/Wesser timber sale kept logging out of Grassy Gap and therefore the main portion of the roadless area, but did permit cutting just to the E.  The NE extension of the wild area as mapped will be impacted by this sale.  Timber sales are also proposed for the Bert Creek area, pending the outcome of the current Forest Plan revision.
 FS plans to study the Nantahala River for National Wild and Scenic designation.

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