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[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Benton-MacKaye-cropped.jpg] The Benton-MacKaye Trail offers hikers more than 300 miles to explore. Robert Evans
The Benton MacKaye Trail starts at the same spot as the Appalachian Trail, on Springer Mountain, and stretches 300-miles through remote forests of North Carolina and Tennessee all the way to Davenport Gap at the northeastern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BMT.jpg]
The Benton MacKaye Trail is blazed with a white diamond. Alexa LampasonaThe Benton MacKaye trail offers a much different hiking experience than its better-known cousin.
“The Appalachian Trail is a well-worn rut in the dirt,” says Bob Ruby, the current president of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association. “The Benton MacKaye Trail is much more remote, and because of this, makes it a more difficult trail. You can be hiking on last fall’s leaves.”
Due to its remoteness, the Benton MacKaye Trail often needs maintenance, and the heartbeat of this effort comes from the Benton MacKaye Trail Association (BMTA). The all-volunteer, nonprofit group consisting of 51 active trail maintainers in 2015, who generously gave time and talent to work on the trail for a combined total of 4,674 hours—more than 40 hours of work each.
Looking to hike on Georgia’s section of the Benton MacKaye Trail? RootsRated got the scoop on the trail from the BMTA, along with the help of their printed guidebooks. Here are some of the best sections of the trail that you can explore in just a day.
Most Scenic
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Blue-Ridge-Swinging-Bridge-over-the-Toccoa.jpg]
The Swinging Bridge over the Toccoa River is the longest suspension bridge East of the Mississippi. Fannin County Chamber of CommerceBryson Gap to GA Highway 60 (6.3 miles): The highlight of Georgia, and perhaps the Benton MacKaye Trail as a whole, is the Toccoa Swinging Bridge, a 260-foot suspension bridge that crosses the Toccoa River. The bridge is said to be the longest in the state of Georgia. The bridge is 2.8 miles from Bryson Gap.
Most Popular
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Fall-branch-falls.jpg]
Fall Branch Falls brings more visitors to this section of the trail. Benton MacKaye Trail AssociationStanley Creek Road to Weaver Creek Road (6.1 miles): Fall Branch Falls makes this portion of the trail well-traveled. Just 0.2 miles after the trailhead, hikers can take the short side trail to the platform overlook of Fall Branch Falls. This section also summits Rocky Mountain at 3,350 feet. Scoggins Knob at 5.8 miles offers views to the north of Lake Blue Ridge.
Highest Peak
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/green-tunnel.jpg]
The “Green Tunnel” on the trail to Big Frog Mountain. Benton MacKaye Trail AssociationBig Frog Mountain to FS 221 (6.5 miles): Part of the Big Frog Wilderness, Big Frog Mountain (4,224 feet) is one of the highest points on Georgia’s Benton MacKaye Trail. After the peak of Big Frog Mountain, hikers descend through a quarter-mile of rhododendron known as the “Green Tunnel” on the west side of the mountain. About one mile in after the summit, the Chimney Top rocky outcrop offers beautiful views east.
Easiest
Old Dial Road to Stanley Creek Road (5.2 miles): As you hike northbound on the trail, it climbs steadily uphill to follow a ridgeline before dropping to the Toccoa River at 1.3 miles. It parallels the river and crosses the historic Shallowford Bridge.
Most Difficult
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1414.jpg]
Alexa Lampasona Highway 60 to Skeenah Gap (6.3 miles): This section and the next (Skeenah Gap to Wilscot Road/Highway 60) are the more remote parts in Georgia. One of the steepest climbs is from Little Skeenah Creek to the summit of Wallalah Mountain on a series of switchbacks for 0.8 miles. The trail also intersects with the Duncan Ridge Trail at mile 3.9, so those wishing to tack on another one of Georgia’s difficult long distance trails can detour here.
Trail Essentials
While the Benton MacKaye Trail is comparable in difficulty to many trails in North Georgia and the Smoky Mountains, it is far more remote. It helps to have a map and guidebook for the trail. Hikers shouldn’t be totally dependent on blazes and should know how to use a compass.
Get Involved
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/trail-maintainers.jpg]
Volunteers put in more than 4,674 hours into maintaining the trail last year. Benton MacKaye Trail AssociationMembers of the BMTA can adopt their own section of the trail, participate in trail maintenance and group hikes, plus more, all to continually maintain the trail for long-term use. Hikers can help contribute to maintenance by joining volunteers on monthly work trips in Georgia, Tennessee and/or North Carolina (which also involves hiking); by picking up trash along the Benton MacKaye Trail; and by reporting problems such as blowdowns through bmta.org.
Detailed trail maps of the Benton MacKaye Trail are available to purchase from the Benton MacKaye Trail Association. Special thanks to authors of the Trail Guides, Elizabeth Carter, Ernest Engman, and Richard Harris.
- by Alexa Lampasona
- Atlanta, GA
- Tue, 01 Dec 2015 19:26:40 +0000
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Benton-MacKaye-cropped.jpg] The Benton-MacKaye Trail offers hikers more than 300 miles to explore. Robert Evans
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The Benton MacKaye Trail starts at the same spot as the Appalachian Trail, on Springer Mountain, and stretches 300-miles through remote forests of North Carolina and Tennessee all the way to Davenport Gap at the northeastern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BMT.jpg]
The Benton MacKaye Trail is blazed with a white diamond. Alexa LampasonaThe Benton MacKaye trail offers a much different hiking experience than its better-known cousin.
“The Appalachian Trail is a well-worn rut in the dirt,” says Bob Ruby, the current president of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association. “The Benton MacKaye Trail is much more remote, and because of this, makes it a more difficult trail. You can be hiking on last fall’s leaves.”
Due to its remoteness, the Benton MacKaye Trail often needs maintenance, and the heartbeat of this effort comes from the Benton MacKaye Trail Association (BMTA). The all-volunteer, nonprofit group consisting of 51 active trail maintainers in 2015, who generously gave time and talent to work on the trail for a combined total of 4,674 hours—more than 40 hours of work each.
Looking to hike on Georgia’s section of the Benton MacKaye Trail? RootsRated got the scoop on the trail from the BMTA, along with the help of their printed guidebooks. Here are some of the best sections of the trail that you can explore in just a day.
Most Scenic
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Blue-Ridge-Swinging-Bridge-over-the-Toccoa.jpg]
The Swinging Bridge over the Toccoa River is the longest suspension bridge East of the Mississippi. Fannin County Chamber of CommerceBryson Gap to GA Highway 60 (6.3 miles): The highlight of Georgia, and perhaps the Benton MacKaye Trail as a whole, is the Toccoa Swinging Bridge, a 260-foot suspension bridge that crosses the Toccoa River. The bridge is said to be the longest in the state of Georgia. The bridge is 2.8 miles from Bryson Gap.
Most Popular
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Fall-branch-falls.jpg]
Fall Branch Falls brings more visitors to this section of the trail. Benton MacKaye Trail AssociationStanley Creek Road to Weaver Creek Road (6.1 miles): Fall Branch Falls makes this portion of the trail well-traveled. Just 0.2 miles after the trailhead, hikers can take the short side trail to the platform overlook of Fall Branch Falls. This section also summits Rocky Mountain at 3,350 feet. Scoggins Knob at 5.8 miles offers views to the north of Lake Blue Ridge.
Highest Peak
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/green-tunnel.jpg]
The “Green Tunnel” on the trail to Big Frog Mountain. Benton MacKaye Trail AssociationBig Frog Mountain to FS 221 (6.5 miles): Part of the Big Frog Wilderness, Big Frog Mountain (4,224 feet) is one of the highest points on Georgia’s Benton MacKaye Trail. After the peak of Big Frog Mountain, hikers descend through a quarter-mile of rhododendron known as the “Green Tunnel” on the west side of the mountain. About one mile in after the summit, the Chimney Top rocky outcrop offers beautiful views east.
Easiest
Old Dial Road to Stanley Creek Road (5.2 miles): As you hike northbound on the trail, it climbs steadily uphill to follow a ridgeline before dropping to the Toccoa River at 1.3 miles. It parallels the river and crosses the historic Shallowford Bridge.
Most Difficult
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1414.jpg]
Alexa Lampasona Highway 60 to Skeenah Gap (6.3 miles): This section and the next (Skeenah Gap to Wilscot Road/Highway 60) are the more remote parts in Georgia. One of the steepest climbs is from Little Skeenah Creek to the summit of Wallalah Mountain on a series of switchbacks for 0.8 miles. The trail also intersects with the Duncan Ridge Trail at mile 3.9, so those wishing to tack on another one of Georgia’s difficult long distance trails can detour here.
Trail Essentials
While the Benton MacKaye Trail is comparable in difficulty to many trails in North Georgia and the Smoky Mountains, it is far more remote. It helps to have a map and guidebook for the trail. Hikers shouldn’t be totally dependent on blazes and should know how to use a compass.
Get Involved
[IMG:https://rootsrated.com/stories/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/trail-maintainers.jpg]
Volunteers put in more than 4,674 hours into maintaining the trail last year. Benton MacKaye Trail AssociationMembers of the BMTA can adopt their own section of the trail, participate in trail maintenance and group hikes, plus more, all to continually maintain the trail for long-term use. Hikers can help contribute to maintenance by joining volunteers on monthly work trips in Georgia, Tennessee and/or North Carolina (which also involves hiking); by picking up trash along the Benton MacKaye Trail; and by reporting problems such as blowdowns through bmta.org.
Detailed trail maps of the Benton MacKaye Trail are available to purchase from the Benton MacKaye Trail Association. Special thanks to authors of the Trail Guides, Elizabeth Carter, Ernest Engman, and Richard Harris.
its all good