Backpack the Benton Mackaye Trail - Hwy 68 to Tellico River Rd (Sections 14c-16e)

This is an advanced backpack and requires prior backpacking experience! If you do not have a history of D5 backpacks with the club, you will be contacted to confirm you experience. Trip leadership reserves the right to remove anyone that they feel may not be able to complete the trip.

 About the trip:

    This will be a point-to-point backpack on a section of the Benton Mackaye trail. The hike will run from the crossing at Tellico River Road to the crossing at Hwy 68.

   Friday Evening: We will try to get most of the shuttle process completed on Friday evening, spending the night near our start on Tellico River road. We will drop at least one car at the BMT Hwy 68 crossing on the way up. The parking on 68 is marginal, so we will plan to leave most of the cars in Tellico plains. I am working to arrange a shuttle from Tellico plains. This will reduce shuttle time on Sunday, speeding our return to Atlanta.

   Saturday: We will start early on Saturday and plan to hike about 14 miles, camping at just past half-way on the hike. The trail goes up and over Sugar mountain, before descending and crossing Bald River. Then ascending once more to the top of Rocky Top. The trail will continue at high elevations for a few miles, crossing several water sources, before descending to Sandy Gap, where we will camp Saturday night.

   Sunday: We will start early, and complete the remaining 13 miles. The trail ascends to Cantrell top, before gradually working its way back down to lower elevations. A mile before reaching our finish at Hwy 68, we will pass Buck Bald, which is reputed to have great 360 views. We will retrieve the cars from Tellico plains and return to Atlanta.

Please plan on bringing an additional $10 to help pay our shuttle drivers. This is in addition to gas money for the carpool.

About The Trail:

The Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) is a footpath of nearly 300 miles through the Appalachian mountains of the southeastern United States. It is designed for foot travel in the tradition of the Appalachian Trail (AT).

Running from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Big Creek Campground on the northern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the Smokies), the BMT passes through some of the most remote backcountry in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, including eight federally designated Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas.