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. Gray and dark green/black show private land. Major trails are shown as dashed lines.

Location: Swain and Macon Counties, SE of Nantahala River gorge and the Cheoah wild area, and W of Little Tenn. River.

Access:  Go N from Wesser on US19 about 1 mile, right (S) on Wesser Creek Road (sign at intersection says County 1103, though maps say 1107) about 2 miles to end of road and terminus of FS Trail 26. Ascend up Wesser Creek (Poplar Cove) Trail to AT and then follow the AT SE to Wesser Bald.  Alternatively follow AT S from Wesser.  To reach the S side of the wild area, drive US 19 SW to raft launch site, turn left on Cty 1310 and then make another left to Tellico Gap on County 1365 and hike the AT to the N.

USGS Topographic Quadrangles:  Wesser

Features/Description/Potential:
    The Appalachian Trail runs N-S through this area along the main ridge. It is relatively undisturbed by recent timber activity.  The Wesser Creek Trail (the old AT) splits from the AT just N of Wesser Bald and drops extremely steeply via many switchbacks into a deep cove with cliff headwalls.  Good for spring wildflowers and big trees.  There is a closed road N from Tellico Gap and its new parking area to Wesser Bald.  The AT takes a much longer route from Tellico Gap to the top to achieve gentler grades.  Advocacy by the Nantahala Hiking Club has resulted in the USFS installation of a viewing platform on the old Wesser Bald fire tower which provides outstanding 360-degree views.  There is another outstanding view toward Cheoah Bald and the Nantahala Gorge from the "Jump Up" where the AT makes its first real plunge downward into the Gorge over a rocky spine several miles N of Wesser Bald.
     There is a ridge to the NE from Wesser Bald to DeHart Bald that can serve as a route to Rattlesnake Creek and the Little Tennessee River through old growth oak woods.  (Or one can bushwhack down the laurel hells of Rattlesnake Ridge to the Wesser Creek trail.)  Dr. Bill McLarney was successful in proposing that this area be part of a larger "mega-reserve" including the Little Tennesee River and adjacent bottomland hardwood forests now owned by Nantahala Power (Duke Power) downstream at least to include the Needmore potential dam site.  the Needmore tract was purchased by the state of NC in 2004.  A further corridor would be sought to link to the Cowies and Alarka Laurel on the NE side of the river.  This would provide a bear corridor toward the Smokys.  The Little Tenn.R. in this area is the home of the federally endangered Spotfin Chub (on which McLarney is an expert.)  FS reports a lot of 100+ yr. stands along the ridgelines in this wild area.
     This wild area is just N of the Tellico Bald and Split Whiteoak wild areas.  The three together form a much larger, and therefore more important corridor for wildlife and primitive recreation experience.
 

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