---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 403k"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "403k"
heading: "Boundary between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee-Pisgah-Nantahala National Forests"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/403k"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter XLVI — Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park"
---

# §403k. Boundary between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee-Pisgah-Nantahala National Forests


The portion of the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) that is common to and between the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) and the Cherokee-Pisgah-Nantahala National Forests hereafter shall be as follows:

- (a) Between the Pisgah National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) the boundary shall be as follows: Beginning at a point where North Carolina [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Highway Numbered 284 first crosses the Cataloochee Divide, said point being common to the boundary of said forest as described in Proclamation Numbered 2187 of July 10, 1936, and the boundary of said [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3), as authorized by sections [403](/usc/16/403.md) and [403a](/usc/16/403a.md) to [403c](/usc/16/403c.md) of this title; thence following the divide northeasterly to the summit of Bent Knee Knob; thence northwesterly and northerly following Trail Ridge and White Oak Mountain to a point where the present national forest boundary leaves White Oak Mountain and running with same northwesterly across Cataloochee Creek to the southeast corner of a tract of national [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) land and northwesterly through the same following the crest of the ridge next south of the east boundary of the said tract to the old road on the summit of Longarm Mountain; thence southwesterly and northwesterly follows the said road running with the top of Scottish Mountain and through a tract of national forest land to the south boundary of a tract of national [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) land just east of Mount Sterling Gap; thence northerly following the south and east boundaries of the said tract of national [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) land to the northeast corner thereof; thence northeasterly through a tract of national forest land, following the crest of the ridge parallel to and east of Mount Sterling Creek to the summit of the ridge terminated by the juncture of Mount Sterling Creek with its south prong; thence northwesterly across Mount Sterling Creek to the summit northeast of Ivy Gap; thence westerly to a point where the westerly boundary of a tract of Forest Service land diverges from North Carolina [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Highway Numbered 284; thence with the highway northerly to a point where North Carolina Highway Numbered 284 joins Tennessee Highway Numbered 75 at the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) line;
- (b) Between Nantahala National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3), the boundary shall follow the boundary of said forest as described in Proclamation Numbered 2185 of July 9, 1936;
- (c) Between Cherokee National Forest (Unaka Division) and Great Smoky Mountains National [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3), the boundary shall follow the boundary of said forest as described in Proclamation Numbered 2183 of July 8, 1936.

## Source credit

(July 26, 1950, ch. 492, § 1, 64 Stat. 377.)