Uwharrie National Forest
Uwharrie National Forest is a 51,000-acre forest in Montgomery, Davidson and Randolph Counties. The smallest of North Carolina’s four national forests, Uwharrie is the only forest located in the North Carolina Piedmont. The forest is named for the Uwharrie Mountains, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. Once towering at 20,000 feet above sea level, millions of years of erosion have worn the mountains down to their present elevation of around 1000 feet. Evidence of Native American activity in the area dates back more than 12,000 years. The Catawba Tribe inhabited the area at the time of the first European settlements in the 17th century. The forest features campgrounds and water activities at Badin Lake Recreation Area, more than 100 miles of trails, numerous primitive campsites and one wilderness area - Birkhead Mountains Wilderness. The Uwharrie Ranger District Office is located in Troy.
Contact Information:
789 Biscoe Road
Troy, NC 27371
Forest Areas:
The Uwharrie Trail is a long-distance hiking trail through the forest, currently about 25 miles, but will eventually be extended to 40 miles.
External Links:
US Forest Service website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48934