Watauga Ranger District
The Watauga Ranger District in Cherokee National Forest (Tennessee) has 86.9 miles of motorized routes on the U.S. Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map — 86.9 miles of roads and 0 miles of trails across 71 designated routes. Vehicle access: Road-legal / licensed vehicles only. Seasonal routes generally open Mar 10 and close Dec 16. Every route here is informational and derived from the MVUM data — it is not a legal document; carry and follow the district's official Motor Vehicle Use Map. Download the routes as GPX for your GPS or riding app.
- Total motorized miles
- 86.9
- Roads
- 86.9 mi
- Trails
- 0 mi
- Year-round miles
- 52.1 mi
- Seasonal miles
- 34.8 mi
86.9 mi of roads · 0 mi of trails, across 71 designated routes on the Motor Vehicle Use Map.
Vehicle access
What the MVUM designates for each vehicle class in this district — open miles, route count and season. A blank designation means the class is not designated here; it is shown as such, never guessed. ATV, motorcycle and e-bike classes are highlighted.
| Vehicle class | Open miles | Routes | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core off-highway (OHV) | |||
| ATV | — | — | Not designated |
| Motorcycle / dirt bike | — | — | Not designated |
| Other wheeled OHV | — | — | Not designated |
| Wider OHV (over 50 inches) | |||
| 4WD > 50" | — | — | Not designated |
| 2WD > 50" | — | — | Not designated |
| Tracked OHV > 50" | — | — | Not designated |
| Other OHV > 50" | — | — | Not designated |
| Narrow OHV (under 50 inches) | |||
| Tracked OHV < 50" | — | — | Not designated |
| Other OHV < 50" | — | — | Not designated |
| E-bikes | |||
| E-bike Class 1 | — | — | Not designated |
| E-bike Class 2 | — | — | Not designated |
| E-bike Class 3 | — | — | Not designated |
| Road-legal / licensed vehicles | |||
| Passenger vehicle | 86.9 | 71 | Varies by route |
| High-clearance vehicle | 86.9 | 71 | Varies by route |
| Truck | 86.9 | 71 | Varies by route |
| Bus | 86.9 | 71 | Varies by route |
| Motorhome | 86.9 | 71 | Varies by route |
Seasons
Of the 86.9 motorized miles here, about 52.1 miles are open year-round and 34.8 miles are seasonal — the seasonal window generally runs from 03/10 to 12/16 (MM/DD). Each vehicle class can carry its own season; see the access matrix above, and always confirm current status on the official Motor Vehicle Use Map.
Download the routes (GPX)
Load these into your GPS unit or riding app (onX, Gaia, Avenza and most handhelds read GPX).
Named routes
Show the 54 named routes in this district
Named routes on the MVUM and whether ATV and motorcycle use is designated on each. This is a per-district reference, not a separate page per route. Use the filter to find a route.
| BACKBONE CAMPING | · | · |
|---|---|---|
| BACKBONE DAY USE | · | · |
| BACKBONE HIKING | · | · |
| BALD KNOB | · | · |
| BIG CREEK | · | · |
| BIG OAK LOOP | · | · |
| BOAT RAMP LOOP | · | · |
| CARDENS BLUFF | · | · |
| CARDENS BLUFF LOOP C | · | · |
| CARDENS BLUFF LOOP A | · | · |
| CARDENS BLUFF SPUR B | · | · |
| DENTON VALLEY | · | · |
| DOGWOOD BENCH | · | · |
| FISHDAM NE. | · | · |
| FISHDAM SE. | · | · |
| FLATWOODS | · | · |
| GENTRY CREEK | · | · |
| GOUGE TRACT | · | · |
| GRIFFITH BRANCH | · | · |
| GRINDSTAFF BRANCH | · | · |
| HEMLOCK LOOP | · | · |
| HICKORY TREE | · | · |
| HOLSTON MOUNTAIN | · | · |
| JACOBS CR SHOOTING | · | · |
| JACOBS CR.REC.LOOP A | · | · |
| JACOBS CR.REC.LOOP B | · | · |
| JACOBS CR.REC.LOOP C | · | · |
| JACOBS CREEK REC.AREA | · | · |
| LITTLE MILLIGAN BOAT RAMP | · | · |
| LITTLE OAK ADM. LOOP | · | · |
| LITTLE OAK COMPLEX | · | · |
| LITTLE POND MTN. | · | · |
| LITTLE POND SHOOTING | · | · |
| LITTLE STONY CREEK | · | · |
| LOWER LONE PINE LOOP | · | · |
| MCQUEEN KNOB | · | · |
| MILL CREEK | · | · |
| OLD FLATWOODS | · | · |
| OLD GENTRY CREEK | · | · |
| PARKS BRANCH | · | · |
| PAY STATION LOOP | · | · |
| PINE MOUNTAIN | · | · |
| POPLAR LOOP | · | · |
| RAT BRANCH | · | · |
| ROBBINS HOLLOW | · | · |
| SHOOK BRANCH | · | · |
| SINK MOUNTAIN | · | · |
| TRAILER DUMP LOOP | · | · |
| UPPER LONE PINE LOOP | · | · |
| WATAUGA POINT | · | · |
| WATAUGA POINT ENTRANCE PARKING | · | · |
| WATAUGA POINT LOOP PARKING | · | · |
| WHETSTONE BRANCH | · | · |
| Y'S MEN LAKE ACCESS | · | · |
Data: U.S. Forest Service, Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) Motor Vehicle Use Map — Roads (layer 1) and Trails (layer 2), retrieved 2026-07-11. A work of the U.S. Government, public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). State assignment: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb state boundaries.
This page is a searchable summary of the Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map data — it is not the official MVUM and not a legal document. Route designations, closures and conditions change. The controlling document is the district's official Motor Vehicle Use Map: carry it and follow posted signs when you ride.
Data vintage: USFS EDW MVUM, retrieved 2026-07-11.
Nearby districts
The six nearest ranger districts by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-forest and cross-state neighbours included — for planning a wider trip.
| District | Forest | Total miles | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rogers National Recreation Area | George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, VA | 214.1 | 65 km |
| Grandfather Ranger District | National Forests in North Carolina, NC | 182.2 | 65 km |
| Clinch Ranger District | George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, VA | 85.7 | 72 km |
| Unaka Ranger District | Cherokee National Forest, TN | 151.5 | 98 km |
| Appalachian Ranger District | National Forests in North Carolina, NC | 68.8 | 113 km |
| Pisgah Ranger District | National Forests in North Carolina, NC | 87 | 143 km |
Frequently asked questions
- Can you ride an ATV in the Watauga Ranger District?
- The current MVUM data shows no ATV-designated routes in this district. Road-legal or other vehicle classes may still be allowed — check the district's official Motor Vehicle Use Map.
- How many miles of motorized routes are in the Watauga Ranger District?
- 86.9 miles total — 86.9 miles of roads and 0 miles of trails, across 71 designated routes on the Forest Service MVUM.
- Is this the official Motor Vehicle Use Map?
- No. This page is an informational, searchable view of the MVUM route data. It is not a legal document. The controlling document is the district's official MVUM — always carry and follow it.
- Are the routes open year-round?
- Partly. About 52.1 miles are open year-round and 34.8 miles are seasonal (typically open Mar 10 to Dec 16). Each vehicle class can have its own season — see the access matrix above.
More in Tennessee
See every ranger district in Cherokee National Forest, browse all Tennessee national-forest routes, or read the methodology behind these figures. New to MVUMs? Start with what a Motor Vehicle Use Map is.