USFS · North Carolina

Sheep Ridge Wilderness

All that remains of Sir Walter Raleigh's lost colony is the word croatan, Algonquian for "council town," carved on a tree on Roanoke Island. This raised bogland or pocosin lies in the heart of Croatan...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Sheep Ridge Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateNorth Carolina
Size9,315 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point34.9122, -77.0396
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11)

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 Sheep Ridge Wilderness40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 4.07 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.40 inches of precipitationMarch: 3.56 inches of precipitationApril: 3.52 inches of precipitationMay: 3.94 inches of precipitationJune: 4.87 inches of precipitationJuly: 7.38 inches of precipitationAugust: 7.21 inches of precipitationSeptember: 8.20 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.81 inches of precipitationNovember: 3.76 inches of precipitationDecember: 3.70 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 46.7°F averageFebruary: 48.9°F averageMarch: 54.6°F averageApril: 63.0°F averageMay: 70.8°F averageJune: 78.2°F averageJuly: 81.3°F averageAugust: 80.2°F averageSeptember: 75.8°F averageOctober: 65.9°F averageNovember: 56.3°F averageDecember: 50.0°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Cherry Point Mcas, 9 miles from the center point at 29 feet, station USW00013754 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 57 inches a year.

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. 1 is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 53 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Sheep Ridge Wilderness?

9,315 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Sheep Ridge Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Sheep Ridge Wilderness in?

North Carolina.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Sheep Ridge Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Sheep Ridge Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Flanners Beach Campground, 5.1 miles out. 1 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 Sheep Ridge Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 34.912, -77.040. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Sheep Ridge Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 11 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 Sheep Ridge Wilderness?

53 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Mount Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and Sloan, Dr. Earl S., House.

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.
  • 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.