Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
Birkhead Mountains Wilderness is a 5,065-acre wilderness area in Randolph County, North Carolina. It rises from about 399 to 965 ft. The nearest town is Asheboro, 6.7 miles away in a straight line.
Birkhead Mountains Wilderness map
Birkhead Mountains Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Agency fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
County and local burn bans may also apply on private, state, or county land nearby. On federal land, follow the land manager's order; off it, follow the strictest county or local rule that applies. When both touch your trip, obey both.
Common questions
- Camping in Birkhead Mountains Wilderness is limited to 14 days.
- The maximum group size at Birkhead Mountains Wilderness is 10.
- Asheboro, NC is the nearest town, 6.7 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Birkhead Mountains Wilderness is about 965 ft, and its lowest about 399 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Coolers Knob Mountain, about 940 ft.
Who manages Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 5,065 | Not on record | 10 | 14 days | Uwharrie Ranger District, 910-576-6391 |
Getting to Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
- Asheboro, NC is the nearest town, 6.7 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)
Trailheads at Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
- North Birkhead Mtn. Trailhead (0.02 mi outside the boundary, 553 ft), at 35.5894, -79.9498
- Thornburg Trailhead (0.34 mi outside the boundary, 477 ft), at 35.6201, -79.9451 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Tot Hill Trailhead (0.53 mi outside the boundary, 597 ft), at 35.6365, -79.9047 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Birkhead Track Trailhead (0.8 mi outside the boundary, 770 ft), at 35.5977, -79.8865 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-30. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Trailheads mapped on OpenStreetMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License , accessed 2026-09-30. The extract used here, with distances from the boundary: osm-trailheads-nc.json. Where an agency layer lists the same trailhead, the agency's point is shown instead.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
- Coolers Knob Mountain summit
- Brush Mountain summit
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-30. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.
Public lands next to Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
- National forestBirkhead Mountains Wilderness lies inside National Forests in North Carolina.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in North Carolina
- wilderness.net (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- apps.fs.usda.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- openstreetmap.org (accessed 2026-09-30)
The sentences on this page are generated by software from the sourced records above, not written by hand. How this content is made.