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Cherokee County North Carolina Hiking Trails
Neighboring County
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The Benton Mackaye Trail - Appalachian Trail, which
is a Fannin County Hiking Trail near the town of Blue Ridge Georgia, is an
easy drive from Murphy, North Carolina in Cherokee County.
Benton Mackaye Trail - Appalachian Trail
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Fannin County, Georgia
Length: 78.6 miles
Rating: All Difficulties
Restrictions: No motorized
vehicles allowed on trail.
This trail offers sparkling streams through laurel and rhododendron
thickets to scenic ridge tops, mature forest, and country roads.
The trail in Georgia stretches from Springer Mountain to Double Spring
Gap on Tennessee border. The first 20 miles of this trail merge with the
Appalachian and Duncan Ridge Trails. From Springer Mountain, the Benton
MacKaye Trail goes north to Rhodes Mountain and turns west, crossing the
Toccoa River at Shallowford Bridge.
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| The trail uses country roads near
Stanley Gap, and then follows ridges tops to Cherry Log. The trail then
crosses private property before following state and county roads to Bush
Head Gap. The entire trail is marked with white diamonds and blazes on
trees. The last 7 miles are located within the Cohutta Wilderness. The
terrain varies from streams through laurel and rhododendron thickets to
scenic ridge tops, mature forest, and country roads. The trail is marked
with white diamonds and blazes on trees. On the Cohutta District, the trail
merges with the South Fork, Jacks River, and Hemtop Trails, where horse
travel is permitted within the wilderness.
Directions:
There are many access points along this trail. Shallowford Bridge
Access: From Blue Ridge, take old U.S. 76 for 1 mile east to Aska Road.
Turn right, and go south for 9 miles to a steel bridge. GA Highway 60
Access: From Blue Ridge, take Old U.S. 76 east for 5 miles to Morganton.
There, turn right on GA 60 and travel south 15 miles near Tooni Gap. The
following access points are available within the Cohutta Ranger District.
Watson Gap Access: Take GA 5 northwest out of Blue Ridge for about 4
miles. Turn left at the Watson Gap directional sign onto Old GA 2 and
travel 10.5 miles to Watson Gap, a four-way intersection, where the trail
enters the road. Dyer Gap Access: Follow directions to Watson Gap. Turn
left onto Forest Service Road 64 and go 3.5 miles to the Dyer Cemetery.
The trail crosses the road just beyond this point. Dally Gap Access:
Follow directions to Watson Gap. Then turn right onto Forest Service Road
22 and go about 3.5 miles to Dally Gap and the Jacks River trailhead. Hike
down the Jacks River Trail about 0.8 mile to where the Benton MacKaye
Trail intersects.
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