Birkhead Mountains Wilderness

Most people haven't even heard of the Uwharrie Mountains, much less seen these ancient volcanic landforms, considered the oldest range on the North American continent. Although eroded by eons of time and weather, the Uwharries are still the highest uplift in the eastern half of North Carolina, and Birkhead Mountains Wilderness marks their northern end. Elevations range from about 450 feet on drainage bottoms to around 950 feet on Cedar Rock Mountain in the northeastern section. Covered primarily in old-growth hardwoods, the Wilderness consists of several long, wooded ridges and surrounding drainages of moderately steep terrain. An understory of wildflowers, shrubs, ferns, mosses, and other plants flourishes on their sodden banks. Small, clear streams run past rocky outcroppings down to the Uwharrie River outside the western boundary. People have been here a long time: explorers arriving in the late 1600s found Native American tribes that had inhabited the area for more than 12,000 years, European settlement began in earnest in the 1760s, and the Birkhead family moved in around 1850, leaving their name on the land. Among the trees you may see remnants of old homesteads, farms, gold mining operations, old roads, and evidence of timber harvesting. The Birkhead Mountain Trail crosses the heart of the area for approximately 4.5 miles from north to south, though you won't find a parking lot on either end. From a parking lot on the western boundary, the Robbins Branch Trail (about three miles) enters the area and forks at Hannah's Creek Trail (about 1.5 miles); both join the Birkhead Mountain Trail. Group size is limited to 10, a regulation enforced in all North Carolina Wildernesses.