Uwharrie National Forest
Uwharrie National Forest is a forest area in the state of North Carolina that is under protection by the United States of America . The National Forest is predominantly in the district of Montgomery County , but also extends into the counties Randolph and Davidson . The forest in the central south of the state is the smallest of the four national forests in North Carolina, at 203.84 square kilometers, of which about 79% are in Montgomery County. The forest area is shared with the state's other three national forests, Croatan , Nantahala , and Pisgah National Forest in Asheville . The local ranger station has its office in Troy .
The name of the forest comes from the Uwharrie Mountains , the mountains on which most of the forest is distributed. To the west, the area is bounded by the Yadkin River and the Great Pee Dee River , while the northern boundary follows the northernmost range of the Uwharrie Mountains near Asheboro . To the east, the forest ends at the administrative seat of Montgomery County in Troy.
The land was first acquired by the federal government in 1931 and the area was then called the Uwharrie Reservation . The forest area received state recognition in the early 1960s at the same time as the forests of Nantahala, Pisgah and Croatan by President John F. Kennedy .
The forest is divided by a number of state and federal highways .
The first substantial gold vein in the US was discovered near this area in 1799 and gold was found in the Uwharrie Mountains in the 1800s. There was a small gold rush during the Great Depression , and panning for gold in the streams and rivers of the area is still a popular pastime. Boating and fishing is available at Badin Lake, and the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail runs through the forest. Other hiking trails and paths are suitable for hikers, mountain biking, campers or horse riders. There is a separate system of paths for motorized off-road vehicles that can only be used during the season.
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Coordinates: 35 ° 25 '26.3 " N , 79 ° 57' 26.4" W.