Cherokee National Forest

Cherokee National Forest is a 650,000 acre forest in eastern Tennessee, the only National Forest in the state.  The forest is divided into north and south sections, separated by Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Contact Information:

2800 Ocoee Street N

Cleveland, TN 37312

Phone: (423) 476-9700 

Fax: (423) 476-9721

Ranger Districts:

There are four ranger districts in Cherokee National Forest, two in the north and two in the south.

Ocoee Ranger District:

The Ocoee Ranger District is located in extreme southeast Tennessee, centered on the Ocoee and Hiwassee Rivers.

Tellico Ranger District:

The Tellico Ranger District is in the south of the forest and is centered around Tellico River.

Unaka Ranger District:

The Unaka Ranger District is located in the north of the forest surrounding the Unaka Mountains.

Watauga Ranger District:

The Wautaga Ranger District is the northernmost district in the forest around Watauga Lake.

Wildernesses:

Bald River Gorge Wilderness:

Bald River Gorge Wilderness protects its namesake river upstream from the confluence with Tellico River.

Big Laurel Branch Wilderness:

Big Laurel Branch Wilderness protects nearly 11,000 acres on the south end of Iron Mountain above Watauga Lake.

Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness:

Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness stretches from Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina into Tennessee.

Unaka Mountain Wilderness:

Unaka Mountain Wilderness protects over 4,000 acres in the Unaka Mountains in Unicoi County.

Waterfalls:

There are a large number of waterfalls in the forest.

1. Baby Falls
2. Backbone Falls
3. Bald River Falls
4. Bald River Middle Falls
5. Blue Hole Falls
6. Coon Den Falls
7. Dennis Cove Falls
8. Dennis Cove Lower Falls
9. Dick Creek Lower Falls
10. Dick Creek Upper Falls
11. Dick Creek Upper Upper Falls
12. Dick Creek Upper Upper Upper Falls
13. Dudley Falls
14. Firescald Branch Falls
15. Gentry Creek Falls
16. Higgins Creek Lower Falls
17. Jones Falls
18. Kelley Falls
19. Laurel Fork Falls
20. Laurel Fork Upper Falls
21. Lower Falls (Slickrock Creek)
22. Margarette Falls
23. Mary Falls
24. Pete's Branch Falls
25. Ricker Falls
26. Rock Creek Falls
27. Rock Creek Lower Falls
28. Splash Dam Falls
29. Squibb Creek Falls
30. Turtletown Lower Falls
31. Turtletown Upper Falls

External Links:

US Forest Service website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/cherokee/home