Benton MacKaye Trail - 9.6 Miles

This was a very strenuous hike on a trail that had not been maintained this year. It turned into an 11 mile + hike due to the conditions.. Blazes were often not visible due to the overgrowth of shrubs.

The clearings were all overgrown with blackberry bushes and other thorny vines. We all got cut up pretty good. We had to do a lot of bushwacking. The lead hiker got real close to a timber rattler as he was pushing through the overgrowth. Bushes were so high, the blazes were not visible. 

All in all, this was an unexpected adventure. The trail was maintained for only one mile on each end of the hike (near the resorts)

This one way, 9.6 mile hike from north to south on the Benton MacKaye is considered strenuous. We will leave Fontana Village Lodge and head west towards Tapoco Lodge at the juntion on US 129, the Little Tennessee River and the Cheoah River.

This section of the trail was originally part of the AT until 1947, when the AT was rerouted towards Fontana Dam.

From Fontana Village we will begin a steep ascent to the top of Yellow Creek Mountain. A gain of about 1000 feet. Here will be at Lookout Rock, an outcrop with great views of the Smokies. Once Yellow Creek Mountain is reached we will have a long stretch of ridge running until we reach a long descent to the Little Tennessee River and the end of the hike.