Citico Creek Wilderness, Nature reserve in Graham County, Tennessee
Citico Creek Wilderness is a protected area in the Appalachian Mountains that encompasses the entire upper drainage system of the creek. The terrain features steep ridges, narrow valleys, and densely forested slopes at different elevations.
The land was acquired by the United States Forest Service in the 1930s following logging operations and a major forest fire in 1925. Since then, forest recovery and protection have been central to how this area has been managed.
The creek was named after a Cherokee village that once existed at the creek's mouth. This name reflects the original people who lived throughout this landscape long ago.
The area has roughly 13 hiking trails that offer different starting points and connect various elevation levels. Visitors should be prepared for varying levels of difficulty and changeable weather conditions in the mountains.
Two special patches of old forest show what the woods here looked like before logging changed the landscape. A stand of beech and maple trees and a section of hemlock forest offer rare glimpses of ancient forest ecosystems.
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