Cherokee National Forest

Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District
423-338-3300 

Benton Falls Trail 

Chilhowee Recreation Area

Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District
3171 Hwy 64, Benton

423-338-5201

An easy 1.5 miles. Starts at Chilhowee Campground’s McCamy Lake follows Rock Creek to Benton Falls . Trail is 4 to 6 feet wide.  Benton Falls is a 65-ft waterfall.

Directions: From US 64 at Ocoee Lake , go north on FS 77 for 7 miles to the Lake McCamy parking area.

Benton MacKaye Trail

275 miles long starting at the head of the AT and enters the Cherokee National Forest across Big Frog Mountain . Access the trail at Forest Service 221, Forest Service 45, Thunder Rock Campground, and Hwy 64 across from TVA Ocoee Powerhouse No. 3. Thirty miles of the Trail are located in Polk County and marked with white diamonds except in wilderness areas. For more information see Wilderness Trails of Tennessee’s Cherokee National Forest by Harvey Broom Group of the TN Chapter of the Sierra Club and Hiking the Benton MacKaye Trail by Tim Homan.

For more information, please contact:

BMTA (a non-profit organization)
P.O. Box 53271
Atlants, GA 30355-1271
http://www.BMTA.org 

Big Frog Trail
 

11 miles round trip. Difficult; recommended for experienced hikers. The trail gains 2,160 feet in elevation. From this trail there are many outstanding views of the surrounding mountains, including the Cohutta Wilderness to the south and the Tennessee Valley to the west. Numerous possibilities also exist for loop trips and point-to-point

Directions: Take US 64 to TVA’s Ocoee No. 3 Powerhouse. Turn right on FS Road 45 at Thunder Rock Campground sign. Go 3 miles. Turn right on FS Road 221. Trail head is ½ mile on left.

Clear Creek Trail

5.4 miles rated moderate. Begins near Greasy Creek Campground off Hwy.30. Trail ends at Chilhowee Campground trailer dumping station

Consauga Riverside Trail

 This trail begins at F.S. Road 220 parking lot, 4.6 miles and is rated easy. Watchable wildlife area.

Jacks River Falls 

Trailhead is at junction of Forest Service Road 221 and GA 16.  Distance of 4.5 miles and rated easy.

John Muir Trail
 

This trail is 18.8 miles following the Hiwassee River from Children’s Creek near Reliance to Hwy.68 at Farmer. The first three-mile section is rated easy. Other sections can be challenging.

Oswald Dome Trail
 

This trail is 3.9 miles, rated moderate with some difficult sections. Begins at Quinn Springs Campground, Hwy.30 near Reliance. Trail ascends Bean Mountain and ends at 3500’ elevation near Oswald Dome fire tower.