Cherokee National Forest

Tennessee's only National Forest, the Cherokee, is separated into two parts by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The lands of the Cherokee are old and battle-scarred, marked by time and human influence.

The Cherokee's most famous mountains, the Appalachians, were formed by rumbling earthquakes as the continental plates collided, uplifting the peaks higher than the Rocky Mountains. After many winters of bitter snows and cold winds and summer's warm, humid air wearing them down to their present heights, some peaks are still well above 5,000 feet.

The Cherokee has grassy balds on random mountain peaks. The European Wild Boar escaped from a hunting preserve in 1912 and their progeny thrived and is now one of the most controversial hunting species on the Forest. The Cherokee with more than 620,000 acres provides stable communities for more than a thousand species of plants and animals, clean water, outdoor recreation and forest products.

Each year millions of people visit Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest.  It is a place of scenic beauty that provides opportunities for anyone interested in nature and history.  The Forest stretches from Chattanooga to Bristol along the North Carolina border.  The 640,000-acre Cherokee National Forest is the largest tract of public land in Tennessee.  It lies in the heart of the Southern Appalachian mountain range, one of the world's most diverse areas.  These mountains are home to more than 20,000 species of plants and animals.

National Forests are lands of many uses.  The original purpose for their creation was to protect water quality and provide a continuous supply of timber.  Today national forests are managed to provide outdoor recreation, wildlife and fish habitat, wilderness, water, minerals, wood products, and much more.

Our motto is caring for the land and serving people.  Caring for your national forest requires the dedication and hard work of a diverse and highly skilled workforce.  Forestry, biology, botany, recreation, planning, engineering, geology, hydrology, realty, computer technology, human resource management, landscape architecture, and accounting are among the fields of expertise employed by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.  Each of these land managers and resource specialists ensures resources are cared for future generations.

Because of the Cherokee's majestic mountains, tumbling streams, and diverse vegetation, recreation opportunities are plentiful.  Discover the 30 developed campgrounds, 30 picnic areas, 700 miles of trail, hundreds of miles of cold water streams, seven whitewater rivers, thousands of acres of dispersed opportunities, and abundant populations of wildlife that are here for your enjoyment.

for more information:
Tennessee River Valley
Cherokee National Forest
2800 N. Ocoee Street
Cleveland, TN 37312
423-476-9700
mailroom_r8_cherokee @fs.fed.us

Leave no Trace Policy...

Printable
State • Town • City • County • Guide

If you would like to know what towns are in which county,
use these printable PDF pages to find out.

North Georgia Mountains • Printable Guide Town Guide

Western North Carolina Mountains • Printable City and Town Guide

Tennessee River Valley and Mountains • Printable Town Guide

South Carolina Mountain Up Country • Printable Town Guide