USFS · Tennessee

Citico Creek Wilderness

Natural splendor has regained a strong foothold in this Wilderness, the largest in Tennessee, ever since fire put an end to a devastating logging period. You can actually find stands of virgin forest in...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Wilderness16,213 acresUSFSTNDesignated 198421 campgrounds within 10 mi16 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Citico Creek Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateTennessee
Size16,213 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point35.3932, -84.0514
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Citico Creek Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 5.40 inches of precipitationFebruary: 4.78 inches of precipitationMarch: 5.43 inches of precipitationApril: 4.72 inches of precipitationMay: 4.94 inches of precipitationJune: 5.52 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.99 inches of precipitationAugust: 4.13 inches of precipitationSeptember: 3.59 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.90 inches of precipitationNovember: 4.23 inches of precipitationDecember: 5.50 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 38.1°F averageFebruary: 41.5°F averageMarch: 48.5°F averageApril: 57.0°F averageMay: 64.3°F averageJune: 70.9°F averageJuly: 73.8°F averageAugust: 73.1°F averageSeptember: 68.0°F averageOctober: 57.7°F averageNovember: 47.5°F averageDecember: 40.7°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Tapoco, 7 miles from the center point at 1,110 feet, station USC00318492 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 56 inches a year. The station sits about 1,700 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 21 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 0.7 mi
Swan Cabin Group Camp
Reservable1 site
FS · 1 mi
Indian Boundary
Reservable88 sites
FS · 2.1 mi
Jake Best Campground
Reservable4 sites
FS · 2.5 mi
Mcnabb Creek Group
Reservable1 site
FS · 2.5 mi
Donley Cabin
Reservable1 site
FS · 2.6 mi
McNabb Group Camp
First-comeTN
FS · 3 mi
North River Campground
Reservable4 sites
FS · 3.5 mi
Dam Creek Walk-In Campground And Picnic Area
First-comeTN
Show 4 more

9 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

16 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 94 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Benton Mackaye -Cheoah RD ↗31.2
South Fork of Citico Trail ↗10.4
Fodderstack Mountain ↗10.3
Flats Mountain Trail ↗6.2
North Fork of Citico Trail ↗5.4
Rocky Flats Trail ↗4.5
Brush Mountain Hiking Trail4.4
Pine Ridge Trail3.6
Cold Springs Gap3.5
Crowder Place Trail2.6

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 13 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Citico Creek Wilderness?

16,213 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Citico Creek Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Citico Creek Wilderness in?

Tennessee.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Citico Creek Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Citico Creek Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Swan Cabin Group Camp, 0.7 miles out. 21 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Citico Creek Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 35.393, -84.051. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Citico Creek Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 10 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Citico Creek Wilderness?

13 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Giddens, L. D., and Son Jewelry Store and Calderwood Dam.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.