Birkhead Mountains Wilderness - Uwharrie National Forest

North Carolina Outdoors

Birkhead Mountains Wilderness - Uwharrie National Forest

Birkhead Mountains Wilderness Photo Tour

Just the Facts... Local Links Regional Books & Music

Less than an hour from Greensboro, the Birkhead Mountains Wilderness is the piedmont's only federally-designated wilderness area. I discovered Birkhead in 1995 and soon found myself making a monthly pilgrimmage to this little known wilderness oasis. You won't find any stunning high altitude vistas here. What you will find is a recovering piedmont forest that sports clean, crisp streams and wildflowers such as Trout lilies, Black cohosh, and Evening primrose. Artifacts from homesteads and farms are also abundant. Observant hikers will spot old chimneys, stone walls, and even holes from abandoned mines.

The Birkhead Mountains Wilderness can be accessed from three trailheads: The Thornburg Farm and Robbins Branch trailheads on the west side of the Wilderness, and the Talbott's Branch trailhead on the north side. Parking at the unofficial Talbott's Branch trailhead is limited to parking on the shoulder of Tot Hill Farm Rd. across from the golf course.

There are four trails in the Wilderness area: Thornburg, Robbins Branch, Hannah's Creek and Birkhead Mountain.

The Thornburg Trail starts at Thornburg Farm, crosses Betty McGees Creek, and merges with the Robbins Branch Trail at about 1.8 miles.

Robbins Branch Trail follows Robbins Branch and an old roadbed through the western portion of the Wilderness.

Hannah's Creek Trail connects the southern end of Robbins Branch Trail with the Birkhead Mountain Trail.

The Birkhead Mountain Trail starts at the Talbotts Branch trailhead at the north end of the Wilderness and connects with Hannahs Creek Trail before continuing southward into private property.

Be aware that there are several inholdings of private property within and near the Wilderness area. This Wilderness may not seem as pristine or remote as Linville Gorge, but as always, practice the No Trace ethic. Also remember that you may encounter hunters, particularly near the Thornburg farm area. It is being actively managed for quail, wild turkey and other small game species. Wear blaze orange during hunting season.

Summary - Birkhead Mountain Wilderness

Location: Randolph County, about 5 miles west of Asheboro

Access: From US 220 in Asheboro, take NC 49 south (you'll actually be heading west) for 5.5 miles. Turn right on Science Hill Rd. (SR 1163) and go 4/10 of a mile. Then turn left (south) on Lassiter Mill Rd. (SR 1107) After about three miles you will see the parking lot for the Thornburg Farm entrance on your left. Note that it is about a two mile hike (one-way) to get to the main wilderness area from Thornburg Farm.
The Robbins Branch Trailhead is about 2.5 miles further south on Lassiter Mill Rd. Look for the Wilderness Area sign at FR 6532. Turn left and go about 1/2 mile to the parking area.

Size: 5025 acres at the northern end of the Uwharrie National Forest

Established: 1984 by the North Carolina Wilderness Act.

Contact: Uwharrie Ranger District
789 NC Hwy. 24/27 East Troy, NC 27371-9332
(910) 576-6391

Local Links

Birkhead Mountains Wilderness - The official USFS Birkhead Wilderness site.

Uwharrie National Forest Recreation Guide

North Carolina Zoo - Visit the nearby North Carolina Zoo

Piedmont Land Conservancy - The land trust for Randolph and eight other northern piedmont counties.

Sierra Club - Piedmont Plateau Group - The local Sierra Club group for Guilford, Randolph, and Rockingham counties. Join them for a hike.

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Books on the Piedmont and Southern Appalachians

Uwharrie Lakes Region Trail Guide: Hiking and Biking in North Carolina's Uwharrie Region - by Don Childrey. Indispensible guide to the Uwharrie region.

Field Guide to the Piedmont - by Michael A. Godfrey. Yes, the Sauratown Range is in the piedmont. Thorough and scholarly, yet very readable, this is the ultimate natural history guide to the area between the Blue Ridge and the coastal plain.

The Dying of the Trees : The Pandemic in America's Forests - by Charles Little. A good introduction to the effects of acid rain and exotic pests on the Blacks and other mountains.

An Appalachian Tragedy : Air Pollution and Tree Death in the Eastern Forests of North America - edited by Harvard Ayers and Charles Little. Photos by Jenny Hager. A disturbing and provocative book. Spectacular photography.

Cabins in the Laurel - by Muriel Earley Sheppard. A classic. Wonderful photos from the 20s and 30s, as well as compelling descriptions of life and people in the Toe River valley of the Black Mountains prior to WWII.

Our Southern Highlanders : A Narrative of Adventure in the Southern Appalachians and a Study of Life Among the Mountaineers - by Horace Kephart. Simply the best book on life in the Southern Appalachians prior to the First World War. Humorous and insightful. If I could have only one book on this region, this would be my choice.

Highroad Guide to the North Carolina Mountains - by Lynda McDaniel. Rated 5 stars by Amazon reviewers.

North Carolina Hiking Trails - by Allen de Hart. Comprehensive. Covers 968 trails. My favorite.

Hiking North Carolina (Falcon Guide) - by Randy Johnson. Covers fewer trails than de Hart's book, but covers them in more detail; maps and photos included.

Trails of the Triad : Over 140 Hikes in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro/High Point Area - by Allen de Hart. A detailed look at trails in the triad. Maps and photos included.

Hiking North Carolina's Mountains-To-Sea Trail - by Allen de Hart.

Exploring North Carolina's Natural Areas: Parks, Nature Preserves, and Hiking Trails - edited by Dirk Frankenberger.

Newcomb's Wildflower Guide - The best field guide. My copy is only two years old, but already dogeared.

Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains Belongs on the bookshelf, not in the backpack. With over 600 color plates, this is an excellent keep-at-home companion to Newcomb's guide.

Eastern Trees (Peterson Field Guides)

A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians (Peterson Field Guides)

A Field Guide to the Birds (Peterson Field Guides)

Music of the Southern Appalachians

O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Soundtrack from the movie. An incredible collection of old time music. This is REAL country music. It is everything that today's slick new Nashville pop isn't. Featuring Norman Blake, Emmy Lou Harris, Gillian Welch, Allison Kraus, John Hartford, The Stanley Brothers, and more. An astonishing collection! Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Salt Sea Bound - Polecat Creek. First release (March 2002) from this triad-based group. Original music in the Old Time tradition. Outstanding song writing and beautiful harmonies. My favorite album of 2002.

Ballads, Banjo Tunes, And Sacred Songs of Western North Carolina - by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. A Smithsonian Folkways CD, rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Clarence Ashley And Doc Watson: The Original Folkways Recordings, 1960-1962 - Doc is a NC legend and national treasure. This is one of his earliest recordings. A Smithsonian Folkways 2-CD Set. Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

The High Lonesome Sound - by Roscoe Holcomb. One of the greatest of the old-time banjo players, Holcomb did almost all of his playing at Holiness Church services and square dances. A Smithsonian Folkways recording. Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Music From The Lost Provinces: Old-Time-Stringbands From Ashe County, North Carolina & Vicinity 1927-1931 Various artists. A classic of the old-time genre. Rated four stars by Amazon reviewers.

The Legacy Of Tommy Jarrell, Vol. 1: 1: Sail Away Ladies - Tommy Jarrell was one of the greatest old-time fiddlers. Rated five stars by Amazon reviewers.

Ways That are Dark - by Daniel Gore, with Peter Rowan, Tim O'Brien, Jack Lawrence, and others. A musical companion to Horace Kephart's classic book, Our Southern Highlanders .