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. 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

Areas:

Badin Lake Recreation Area:

Badin Lake Recreation Area is along the eastern shore of the lake and has 4 developed campground and more than 40 miles of mixed use trails.

Birkhead Mountains Wilderness:

Birkhead Mountains Wilderness is the only wilderness area in the Piedemont and is located in the northern part of the forest in Randolph County.

Uwharrie National Recreation Trail:

Uwharrie National Recreation Trail is a long-distance hiking trail through the forest, currently about 25 miles, but will eventually be extended to 40 miles.

Points of Interest:

Pisgah Covered Bridge:

Pisgah Covered Bridge is one of only two remaining historic covered bridges in North Carolina.

External Links:

US Forest Service website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48934