National Trails Day Event Tellico Plains Tennessee

National Trails Day Event in Tellico Plains
Saturday June 6, 9am - 5pm

Tellico Plains, "The Little Town with the Big Back Yard", is celebrating National Trails Day with a series of hikes and a work trip on a local trail on June 6. Tellico Plains is a designated TRAIL TOWN.   Join one of three guided hikes (various locations, lengths and difficulty levels - see descriptions below) or a work trip on the John Muir Trail. Those wishing to join a guided hike should meet in the parking area behind the Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center, Hwy. 165, in Tellico Plains at 9 AM. Those wanting to spend the day working on building a reroute on the John Muir Trail along the Hiwassee River should meet at the Quinn Springs Campground shelter along Highway 30 between US 411 and Reliance at 9 AM.

All hikers should bring a day pack with plenty of water, and your lunch. Sturdy shoes, hiking poles or a walking stick might come in handy. Trail workers need to wear long pants and sturdy boots and to bring water and a lunch. Breakfast will be provided by Tellico Grains Bakery.

Dinner after the hikes will be provided at the Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center, sponsored by Tellico Outpost. Two Dog Ranch Bluegrass Band will be playing old time mountain music, fiddle tunes, and bluegrass for the hikers at the Visitor Center. If you can, hikers please bring a chair to use for dinner and music at the Visitor Center. There is a covered pavilion with 4 picnic tables in place.

Dinner for the trail workers will be provided by Tennessee Wild at Quinn Springs. All trail workers on the work trip will receive a free T-shirt commemorating the day. Day hikers can buy these t-shirts at $5. Kids are welcome as well but must be attended by a responsible parent or guardian or youth group leader (church, scouts, etc). Leashed dogs are also welcome to join the guided hikes.

Guided Hikes:
1) Bald River Falls Trail - 9 miles
Rated moderate to strenuous due to length
    This beautiful trail climbs from the base of the 80' Bald River Falls and meanders riverside featuring stunning rock formations and several great views of other little falls along the way.

2) Unicoi Turnpike Trail - 3 miles
Rated Easy
    The Unicoi Turnpike Trail is recognized as part of the Trail of Tears, and in 2000 was designated as a National Millennium Trail. Walking this is like walking through history - literally. Your guide will share information about the history and heritage of the area, the Cherokee people and the site of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp Rolling Stone.

3) Falls Branch Falls - 3 miles
Rated moderate to strenuous due to short but steep descent
    This short hike has a BIG payoff at the end, the 70'+ Falls Branch Falls. The majority of the trail follows an old logging road, then turns for a steep but short descent through a medieval forest of old growth trees, large boulders and mossy rocks to the base of the falls. The hike itself is not difficult but there are slippery rocks along the creek.

The Little Town with the Big Back Yard

Tellico Plains is proud to be a TRAIL TOWN, as designated by the Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition (SEFTC) and the Benton MacKaye Trail Association (BMTA) this past Saturday, August 9, 2014.

What is a Trail Town? The SEFTC/BMTA Trail Town Program is designed to promote hiking, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, bicycling, and horseback riding in communities with 100+ miles of trails in their immediate vicinity. Tellico Plains is truly "The Little Town with the Big Back Yard" - the areas surrounding Tellico Plains and nearby Coker Creek are blessed with over 200 miles of hiking, backpacking, equestrian, mountain biking and motorized trail bike trails. There are about 180 miles of trails in the Tellico Ranger District of the US Forest Service, and the adjoining districts have several hundred more miles of trails. Also, the Benton MacKaye Trail - a 300 mile long-distance wilderness trail from Springer Mountain GA to the northern end of the Smokies - traverses close to Tellico Plains, crossing the Tellico River just above Green Cove. As a "Trail Town," Tellico Plains is identified as an exceptional location to visit or use as a base to access these tremendous trail opportunities.

Information and links provided on the Trail Towns webpage are designed to help local and out-of-town visitors learn about the trail opportunities in the Tellico Plains area, and also serve as a guide to the support services available locally to trail users. We encourage you use this info as you plan your trail-based activities around Tellico Plains.

Deep gratitude goes to Richard Harris for his dedicated volunteer efforts on behalf of the SEFTC/BMTA Trail Town Program in making designation as a Trail Town a reality for Tellico Plains.

Trail Town Ceremony is Saturday Night!

Join Tennessee Wild and friends at 5:30pm, Saturday August 9th under the tent on the corner of Main Street and the Cherohala Skyway (beside the Exxon) where we'll celebrate the designation of Tellico Plains as an official "Trail Town"! We'll have a couple of speeches by the folks that made all this possible, then the ceremonial 'ribbon cutting' - except in our case, we're cutting a more forest-appropriate vine instead of a ribbon.

Bob Richards from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will share the exciting news about the Tellico Ranger District’s recent $200,000 grant award for trail improvements in the area, and the financial impacts of outdoor recreation on the economy in gateway forest towns like Tellico Plains. Following Bob, will be a fantastic and funny program by avid outdoorsman and storyteller Jim Pfitzer. Jim is best known for his nature based tales ranging from too-close-for-comfort black bear encounters to the significance of sweet tea in southern society. Throughout the evening we'll be drawing for some great prizes donated by our friends at Rock/Creek Chattanooga, Eno, Tellico Grains Bakery and others.

Representatives from the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, the Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition, Tennessee Wild, Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards, The Wilderness Society, US Forest Service, Monroe County, and the Town of Tellico Plains will be on hand to say hello and answer questions.

Come early for dinner at The Crab Trap and stay to enjoy the music of local musicians Faith Willin, performing inside 6pm - 9pm.

Be sure to see all the "TELLICO WILD" weekend activities, at http://www.meetup.com/Tennessee-Wild or at http://Facebook.com/TennesseeWild


Learn more about Tellico Plains as a "TRAIL TOWN".

Have a fun-filled Tellico Wild weekend!

Saturday, August 9th will start a fun-filled weekend of outdoor activities which include the ceremonial dedication of Tellico Plains as an official “Trail Town” by the Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition (SEFTC) and the Benton MacKaye Trail Association (BMTA). Guest speakers, and the ribbon cutting followed by food, music and fun!  More hikes, snorkeling, and other events are scheduled for Sunday, as well.

Join guided hikes into designated wilderness areas on Saturday and/or Sunday, or give a little back to our public lands by joining a trail crew for a stewardship project. Learn about the diverse flora and fauna of the forest on an interpretive hike or while snorkeling with expert USFS guides in Citico Creek. Learn to take better pictures in nature with simple tools - or - just take a deep breath and enjoy some time in the great outdoors!

A schedule of events, registration info, and more can be found at http://www.meetup.com/Tennessee-Wild or at http://Facebook.com/TennesseeWild

The event is sponsored by Tennessee Wild, and its partners: 
Wild South - www.wildsouth.org
Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards - www.trailcrews.org
Rock/Creek Chattanooga - www.rockcreek.com
Tellico Outpost Pavillion


Learn more about Tellico Plains' designation as a Trail Town.

Help Maintain Our Local Trails!

June 7th, 2014, is National Trails Day®, and events are planned across the nation to help maintain hiking and horse trails. With over 200 miles of trails in the Tellico Plains area, Tellico Plains Trails Day needs your help. Come join us!

WHO: Everyone is welcome

WHEN: Saturday June 7, 8am to 5:30pm

WHERE: Meet at picnic area next to the beach at Indian Boundary Campground, off the Cherohala Skyway at Forest Service Road 345

All are welcome for a day of “Paying it Forward” to the Tellico Ranger District of the Cherokee National Forest. Meet at the picnic area next to the beach at Indian Boundary Campground at 8 AM.  Breakfast will be provided by Tellico Grains. Wear long pants, bring a lunch and plenty of water in a day pack. We will break up into crews of 8-10 people to work on a segment of trail somewhere in the local area. Then we will all return to the picnic area for a dinner provided by the Tellico Outpost (pizza) and the Friends of the Cherokee National Forest (burgers, etc). Also upon returning at the end of the day, all participants will receive a free T-shirt commemorating the day. Kids are welcome as well but must be attended by a responsible parent or guardian.

Click for more information

Tellico Plains, A "TRAIL TOWN"
The Tellico Plains and Coker Creek area is blessed with over 200 miles of hiking, backpacking, equestrian, mountain biking and motorized trail bike trails. Tellico Plains is receiving designation as a Trail Town in 2014 by the Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition and the Benton MacKaye Trail Association as an exceptional location to visit for these activities! Online information and resources for local and out-of-town visitors who are using our area trails is now readily available on the Guide to Tellico Plains. Watch for more events, celebrating this important designation!