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Nantahala Mountains:
Southern Nantahala Wilderness Extensions |
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Location: Clay and Macon Counties, NC, 15 miles southwest of Franklin, Wayah and Tusquitee Ranger Districts, Nantahala National Forest
USGS Topographic Maps: Rainbow Springs, Prentiss, Macedonia, Hightower Bald, Shooting Creek
Roadless acreage by area: 844-Cherry Cove; 594-Sharpton Ridge;
3,475-Chunky Gal; 647-Little Indian; 1,154-Big Indian; 976-Barkers Creek
The Southern Nantahala Wilderness is a large one straddling the border of North Carolina and Georgia, dominated by Standing Indian Mountain, part of a south-facing horseshoe-shaped massif. The open end is the Tallulah River basin. To the north ridges radiate from the closed end toward the upper Nantahala River. All of the logical extensions involve these ridges and all would add to the value and integrity of the existing wilderness.
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Approximate size:
15,574 acres.
Roadless acreage:
7,690 acres
Old growth acreage:
1,523 acres |
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Moving clockwise from the west to the north and then east around the closed end of the horseshoe the extensions are:
Sharptop Ridge (Forest Service 11008), is a northwest-running ridge and stream basin connecting to the wilderness in Georgia.
Sugar Cove, is another northwest-running basin connecting to wilderness in Georgia.
Chunky Gal (Forest Service 11009), includes ridges running west and northwest, Middle Ridge, Ravenrock Ridge, and Chunky Gal Mountain, which runs all the way out to U.S. Highway 64 and includes the Riley Knob white oak Forest Service Natural Area. This potential extension is the largest and very important. It includes Whiteoak Stamp, a rare high elevation mountain bog, as well as Muskrat Cove with its possibly virgin timber. The Appalachian Trail runs along the east boundary of this area coming north from Georgia. Chunky Gal Mountain is really a major spur of Boteler Peak to the northwest, and provides a trail corridor to the Boteler Peak Roadless Area and beyond to the Tusquittee Roadless Area.
Yellow Mountain, is another northwest-running ridge just northeast of Chunky Gal and separated from it by a road. It has seen some more recent logging.
Little Indian (Forest Service 11010), is essentially the basin of Little Indian Creek that feeds into the Nantahala River to the north-northeast. The north and east boundaries of the Southern Nantahala Wilderness were arbitrarily set to follow the 4,400-foot contour line rather than to the logical physical boundary of the Nantahala River. Protection of the Little Indian unit would correct the problem.
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The heart of the largest western segment is Chunky Gal Mountain which stretches from the Tennessee Valley Divide to Boteler Peak. It connects to the Boteler Peak unit at Glade Gap and allows hikers and game to move freely into Tusquitee Bald and Cheoah Bald further north. It contains the Appalachian Trail, the Chunky Gal Trail and other day hiking trails that get extensive use. The hike along Chunky Gal Mountain on the namesake trail passes by wonderful old-growth oak clusters. Forest visitors also use the trails near the Standing Indian campground extensively.
This extension of the existing Southern Nantahala Wilderness is a keystone in creating both a bear corridor and primitive backpacking corridor between the Southern Nantahala and areas to the north and it should be permanently protected. |
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Cherry Cove / Chunky Gal Mountain
Forest Communities
Northern Hardwood, Rich Cove, High Elevation Northern Red Oak, Submesic Oak, and Dry Oak
Largest Diameter Tree of its kind in the Nantahalah-Pisgah:
* White basswood, 44 inches (northeast Chunky Gal Mountain)
* Carolina silverbell, 33.1 inches, (northeast Chunky Gal Mountain)
* Yellowwood 24.4 inches (Jake Ridge)
Unusual Plants
* Sharptop Ridge is a special botanical area.
* Parts of Riley Knob are listed as likely having old growth forests according to the NCNHP. High Elevation Northern Red Oak and Submesic Oak forests occur as well.
* Kevin Caldwell and Paul Myers found rare and listed herb species on the northeast side of Chunky Gal Mountain in the summer of 1999. This site is located in the Upper section of a nameless tributary of Buck Creek.
* Caldwell and Myers also found a yellowwood forest community in the Jake Ridge area in the summer of 1999. Large yellowwood trees have also been found in similar substrate in northern Georgia (Jess Riddle).
* Uncommon or rare herbs may be associated with cliff environments on Kitty Ridge.
* Some High Elevation Northern Red Oak forests had considerable herb diversity in parts of this area. |
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Little Indian / Big Indian / Barkers Creek
Forest Communities
Doubletop Mountain: Rich Cove, Submesic Oak, and Montane Mafic Cliff (including red cedar).
Long Ridge: Montane Cedar-Hardwood Woodland is present amid rock outcrops on this ridge. This forest community may also be present on the other ridge slopes south of Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, and on knobs such as Hannah Mountain and Cedar Cliff Mountain (Gary Kauffman 4/23/01).
Largest Diameter Tree of Its Kind in the Nantahala-Pisgah:
* Scarlet oak 47 inches (Doubletop Mountain)
Unusual Plants
* Caldwell and Myers found 13 rare and watch-list herb species in the Doubletop Mountain area 1999. Hoptree, fringetree, and roundleaf serviceberry occur in this botanically rich area. One tulip poplar tree measured 5.3 feet in diameter. Rock cliffs, boulder fields, and one exceptional seep are other features of this area. Other sites of this quality may be present in this wilderness extension. |
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