Wilson Creek (North Carolina)

The Wilson Creek area is located in the Grandfather district of the scenic Pisgah National Forest, northwestern section of Caldwell County, North Carolina. Wilson Creek itself is a water system that originates in Calloway Peak and stretches for 23 miles before dumping into John's River. It was added to the the Wild and Scenic River System on August 18 2000. There are several designations in Wilson creek area which include: Wild - 4.6 miles; Scenic - 2.9 miles; Recreational - 15.8 miles.

History

The Wilson Creek Wilderness area was once used by the Cherokee Indians as a summer hunting grounds. It was settled in 1750, and logging began on the dense forest. Mortimer, once the largest community in the Wilson Creek area, was the site of the Ritter Lumber Company sawmill and a small textile mill. The mills provided jobs enough to sustain 800 residents. If still in existence, Mortimer would be the county seat of Caldwell County, North Carolina (which is now Lenoir, North Carolina) Mortimer flooded on August 13 1940

Recreation

The Wilson Creek area is frequented by hikers and recreation enthusiasts. There are plenty of places to fish, hike, and camp. Dispersed camping is allowed throughout the forest area, but sites must be set up at least 100 ft. from any water. The Wilson Creek Gorge area is available for day use but there is limited parking.

Listed below are the campgrounds in the Wilson Creek area. MORTIMER CAMPGROUND is a beautiful, primitive campground located 10 miles up the mountain from Brown Mtn. Beach. It is operated by the Forest Service & is open from April 1 - October 31. It has 23 sites for tents and small campers. Fire rings, picnic tables, and 2 bathhouses (with flushing toilets & showers) are available. The fee is $10.00 per night. BROWN MOUNTAIN BEACH RESORT is nestled against the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The campground has camping facilities as well as cabins.

Activities include:
* Camping
* Swimming
* Fishing
* Hiking
* Canoeing
* Kayaking
* Geocaching

References

* http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc
* http://www.ncwaterfalls.com/wilson_creek1.htm
* http://web.utk.edu/~jeparks/history.htm
* http://www.friendsofwilsoncreek.org