Bald River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bald River |
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Bald River Falls as seen from a bridge over the river.
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| Country | US |
| Physical characteristics | |
| River mouth | Tellico River in Monroe County, Tennessee 1,348 ft (411 m) |
The Bald River is a beautiful river found in Monroe County, Tennessee. It flows through the Cherokee National Forest. This river is a smaller stream that eventually joins the larger Tellico River.
Right before it meets the Tellico River, the Bald River plunges over a huge waterfall. This amazing waterfall is called Bald River Falls. It is about 80 to 100 feet (25 to 30 meters) high. You can easily see the falls and where the river joins the Tellico from a bridge on Forest Service Road 210. Many people think Bald River Falls is the most impressive waterfall in East Tennessee.
The Bald River is not very long, but it flows with a lot of power. It carves its way through a steep valley filled with thick trees. The area gets a lot of rain, which keeps the river flowing strongly. The river starts near the North Carolina state line, high up in the Unicoi Mountains. It flows northeast for a short distance before turning northwest.
The River's Past
Long ago, in the early 1900s, the forests around the Bald River and the Tellico River were almost completely cut down. A company called the Babcock Lumber Company did this logging. They had their main base in Tellico Plains.
The road you see today along the Tellico River was built on top of the old railroad tracks. These tracks were used by the Babcock company to carry the cut logs out of the forest. This shows how much the area has changed over time.
Protecting the Bald River
Today, much of the Bald River area is protected. In 2018, the U.S. Congress officially made the Upper Bald River Wilderness a part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. A wilderness area is a special place where nature is kept wild and untouched by humans.
Along with the Bald River Gorge Wilderness to the north, most of the Bald River's watershed is now a protected wilderness area. The Cherokee National Forest manages these areas. This means they work to keep the land and water healthy for everyone to enjoy, now and in the future.
