Thurmond Chatham Game Land - Directions

Thurmond Chatham Game Land

The Thurmond Chatham Game Land is located in Wilkes County, in northwest North Carolina. There are four entrance roads to access the Thurmond Chatham Game Land. One game land entrance road is located just off Highway 18 North known as Joshua Creek Road and three game land entrances are located off of Longbottom Road. To access the Thurmond Chatham Game Land:

From Wilkesboro, NC - From the junction of Highway 18 and Highway 268, travel Highway 18 North approximately 13.5 miles to Longbottom Road on the right.

• Osborne Ridge Road - From the intersection of Highway 18 and Longbottom Road, travel east approximately 2.5 miles to the Osborne Ridge Road entrance on the left.
  

36°21'9.58"N 81°12'11.09"W

• Pike Creek Road - From the intersection of Highway 18 and Longbottom Road, travel east approximately 3.5 miles to the Pike Creek Road entrance on the left.
  

36°21'21.60"N 81°11'15.51"W

• Bell Branch Road - From the intersection of Highway 18 and Longbottom Road, travel east approximately 5.7 miles to the Bell Branch Road entrance on the left.
  

36°22'8.96"N 81° 9'16.97"W

• Joshua Creek Road - From the intersection of Highway 18 and Longbottom Road, travel north on Highway 18 approximately 1.8 miles to Old Highway 18 on the right.
  

After turning right onto Old 18, travel approximately 0.3 miles to the Joshua Creek Road entrance on the right. GPS coordinates for the entrance: 36°21'27.22"N 81°14'11.64"W

From Elkin, NC - From the stoplight at the intersection of Highway 21 and Poplar Springs Road, travel approximately 8.5 miles north on Highway 21 to Traphill Road on the left. After taking the left onto Traphill Road, travel approximately 5.2 miles west to Longbottom Road on the right.

• Bell Branch Road - From the intersection of Traphill Road and Longbottom Road, travel west approximately 8.8 miles to the Bell Branch Road entrance on the right.
  

36°22'8.96"N 81° 9'16.97"W

• Pike Creek Road - From the intersection of Traphill Road and Longbottom Road, travel west approximately 11 miles to the Pike Creek Road entrance on the right.
  

36°21'21.60"N 81°11'15.51"W

• Osborne Ridge Road - From the intersection of Traphill Road and Longbottom Road, travel west approximately 12.1 miles to the Osborne Ridge Road entrance on the right.
  

36°21'9.58"N 81°12'11.09"W

• Joshua Creek Road - From the intersection of Traphill Road and Longbottom Road, travel west approximately 14.5 miles to the end of Longbottom Road to it's intersection with Highway 18. From the intersection of Highway 18 and Longbottom Road, travel north on Highway 18 approximately 1.8 miles to Old Highway 18 on the right.
  

After turning right onto Old 18, travel approximately 0.3 miles to the Joshua Creek Road entrance on the right. GPS coordinates for the entrance: 36°21'27.22"N 81°14'11.64"W

There is one other game lands access point that is found off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This access road leads to a hunter parking area and the game lands are accessed by following a hunter access trail across park property to the "D Section" of the Thurmond Chatham game lands. To find this parking area travel the Blue Ridge Parkway to milepost 239. Turn onto "Air Bellows Gap" Road.
Follow Air Bellows Road south approximately 0.75 miles until reaching the terminus of the road at the hunter parking area. GPS coordinates for the parking area: 36°25'16.46"N 81°7'22.00"W

For an online interactive map of Thurmond Chatham, please visit the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission website @ www.ncwildlife.org or click HERE to link to the interactive maps.

A detailed map of Thurmond Chatham in PDF form can be found HERE.

What has THE D-7 Crew done lately (July-Sept. 2009)

July 2009

-Conducted bear bait station surveys in district seven (34 stations, 13 bear visits)

-Performed routine depot, yard mowing, and site maintenance tasks.
Disposed of ½ ton of trash and recyclables.

-Mowed vegetation in 12 acres of openings on Thurmond Chatham GL.

-Routine office work, purchasing, and reporting.
Crew attended regulation proposals review meeting in Yadkinville.

-Trapped 121 wood ducks and banded 115 with new bands.

-Trapped 15 doves and banded 14 with new bands.

-Scheduled maintenance of highway vehicles.

August 2009

-Performed routine depot, yard mowing, and site maintenance tasks.
Accompanied State Property Engineers during inspection of buildings.

-Cleared debris from 17 miles of public access roads on TCGL.
Opened and closed gates to allow sportsmen access onto TCGL.
Opened and closed gates to allow sportsmen access onto MRGL.
Opened and closed gates to allow sportsmen access onto BCGL.
Put up signs and improved barriers to block ATV traffic on Saddle Mtn Tract.
Met with Supervising Biologist to plan for parking area on Three-top Mtn GL.

-Mowed vegetation in 17 acres of openings on TCGL.
Mowed 14 acres of dove fields on Perkins Game Lands.
Burned 1.5 acres of field crops on Perkins GL Dove fields.
Spot sprayed invasive plants on 22 acres of openings on TCGL.

-Routine office work, purchasing, and reporting.

-Trapped 207 wood ducks and banded 180 with new bands.

-Trapped and banded 18 doves.

-Scheduled maintenance of highway vehicles.

September 2009

-Installed access barrier around public parking area on Three-top Mtn. GL.

-Performed routine depot, yard mowing, and site maintenance tasks.

-Mowed 1.5 miles of access roads and parking areas on BCGL.

-Retrieved tractor from vendor in Wilkesboro after repair was completed.

-Mowed one acre opening on Thurmond Chatham GL.
Mowed nine acres of openings on Perkins Game Lands.
Burned one acre of field crops on Perkins GL Dove fields.
Sprayed and planted eight acres of openings on Buffalo Cove GL.
Mowed fifteen acres of openings on Buffalo Cove GL.

(photo above is of a strip of sunflowers, Lablab, and cowpeas we planted on Thurmond Chatham Game Lands, in early September, bears discovered the sunflowers and soon thereafter it looked like the area had been bombed as the bears visited the 2 acre patch and devoured the sunflowers, once the bears had eaten all the sunflowers, they left and the deer moved back in to feast on the Lablab and cowpeas)
-Routine office work, purchasing, and reporting.
Crew attended Regional meeting in Marion.

-Trapped 38 wood ducks and banded 32 with new bands.
Prepared and submitted banding records to waterfowl Biologist.

-Performed scheduled maintenance of three highway vehicles.
Obtained spare tires and parts for 3 western Region Huntmaster trailers.

-Transported vehicle and two truck loads of NCWRC property from former employee’s residence to depot for storage.