Cherokee National Forest

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Welcome to the Cherokee National Forest sprawling across the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee.

Forest History: The Weeks Act of 1911 gave the Federal Government the authority to purchase lands in the eastern states. Much of the land purchased was worn out land formerly owned by various timber companies. The present day Cherokee National Forest was made up of four purchase units scattered across Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, in what were to become the Unaka and Cherokee National Forests. In 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt combined the Tennessee portions of the Unaka and Cherokee National Forests to form the present day Cherokee National Forest.

Wildlife: The Cherokee National Forest helps protect the home of numerous wild critters including squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, deer, black bears, and many others. The founder of RecPlanet saw his first black bear in the wild in the Cherokee National Forest in September of 2000. Please treat their home with respect.

For the lover of the outdoors Cherokee National Forest boasts over 600 miles of trails, numerous trout streams, and so much more. The Ocoee River, located in the Cherokee National Forest was the site of the Kayaking in the 1996 Summer Olympics. Come on out and explore.

The Cherokee National Forest grew in size by 1,500 acres in October of 2021.