Taken from a 1993 Forest Service map of bear habitat, shown in green.  The orange line shows NC Mtn Treasures proposed Wilderness extensions. Red line area on the west is the Lake Logan tract, purchased by the Forest Service in 2000.  Red area on the east is the Crawford Creek inholding, now mostly protected under a conservation easement held by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. Gray shows private and, on the SW, Nantahala National Forest land. Major trails are shown as dashed lines.

Location:  Haywood County.  A small area just N of existing Middle Prong Wilderness and  extending N along E side of Lickstone Ridge.  Pisgah Ranger District.

Access:  From Sunburst Campground on NC 215 north of Blue Ridge Parkway,.take FS Road 97 (open only during hunting season) to the S to FS Trail 142 to cross the potential addition to the Middle Prong Wilderness to the S, or continue on FS 97 to the W and then N to access the Lickstone Ridge wild area.

USGS Topographic Quadrangles:  Sam Knob, Waynesville.  See also FS Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness Trail Map.

Features/Description/Potential:
    Middle Prong Wilderness was designated in 1984.  The area N of and nearest to Middle Prong Wilderness is a logical extension.  It is within the viewshed from Parkway.  The W side of Lickstone Ridge is private, including the Waynesville Watershed, and has been roaded and cut.  The Wild Area consists of a small area just S of and connecting with the Middle Prong Wilderness running N along the steep E-facing slopes of Lickstone Ridge.  The area is a bear sanctuary, and managed for bear, but it has been difficult to keep ORV's out, bordered as it is by roads on both E and W from non-federal property.  FS Road 97 forms the NE boundary of this Wilderness extension.
    Views of Fork Ridge and the Shining Rock/Cold Mountain ridgeline to the E are spectacular.  The entire area must have been logged in the distant past, but much has recovered and developed into fairly mature forest.  Large clumps of basswood and black cherry can be found, as well as very large black locusts in a forest of yellow poplar, red oak and sugar maple.  Above 4500 ft the area is considered important to the endangered N. flying squirrel.
     FS Trail 142 runs S from FS Road 97 along the Middle Prong into the Middle Prong Wilderness.  A trail runs NW via Bonner Inn Branch to Double Spring Gap on Lickstone Ridge from FS Road 97 farther to the W, and there appears to be a trail to Deep Gap on Lickstone Ridge some 2 miles farther N along FS Road 97.  A number of old dirt roads are reported to be in the Lickstone Bald/ Three Tree Ridge area where FS Road 97 now ends.  This road will be extended for the proposed Nick Creek timber sale.  FS Road 97 makes an excellent mountain biking route.
    It seems obvious that proposed extensions to the Middle Prong Wilderness should be increased, now that the Lake Logan tract has been acquired.
    The Roy Taylor Forest just SW of the Middle Prong Wilderness, separated from it only by the Blue Ridge Parkway, is another logical Wilderness extension.

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