The Birkhead Mountains Wilderness was established by the 1984 North Carolina Wilderness Act and covers 5,160 acres (20.9 km2) in the Uwharrie National Forest at the northern end of the Uwharrie Mountains, in central North Carolina.

[1] The mountain range in and around the wilderness are considered to be the oldest on the North American continent.

The Catawba Indians inhabited the area when the Europeans began exploring the region in the late 1600s.

By 1760 settlement had begun in earnest, opened up by the explorers and traders along the Ocaneechi Trail.

The 3,000 acres (12 km2) Birkhead acquired over the years were made up of many small tenant farms.