Benton MacKaye Trail Association Trail Town Communities

BMT Trail Town Communities are a mutually beneficial partnership with the BMT. The trail is an alluring vacation for any outdoor enthusiast. In turn, towns near the trail reap an economic boon from the hikers who spend money for off-the-trail enjoyment or on necessities in the local communities.

It is no wonder why tens of thousands of hiking enthusiasts from throughout the United States as well as from Europe and Asia are drawn to the 288-mile-long trail. With its glorious ridgeline views and the innumerable crossings of mountain streams, the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) comes by its reputation for beauty honestly. Also known for its remoteness, a third of the trail lies in Wilderness areas where vehicular access and motorized tools are prohibited. Here, the hiker finds true peace and solitude.

The Benton MacKaye Trail Town Communities are a key element in making sure the everyday needs of day hikers, backpackers and thru hikers are met. A tasty meal at a nearby restaurant and a good night’s rest at a local lodging facility are a hiker’s delight. To stay properly supplied on the trail, backpackers and thru hikers patronize grocery stores, outfitter stores, pharmacies, laundromat, shuttle services post offices and more.

East Ellijay, Ellijay and Gilmer County became a BMT Trail Town Community on April 22, 2023.

Just an hours’ drive from Atlanta, the community offers a glimpse back to a time when life was far simpler. Visitors experience a much slower-paced lifestyle as they enjoy the friendly hospitality and sense of peace and security that is the very essence of small-town America.

The Trail Town Community (TTC) is the perfect “homebase” for a getaway for a weekend of fun and adventure. When it comes to opportunities for day hikes and weekend backpacking trips, the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) is at the top of the list. Day hikers love to visit Fall Branch Falls, Long Creek Falls, Shadow Falls, the Suspension Bridge Over the Toccoa River Springer Mountain Loop. Long-distance hikes in the area include Loops near Springer Mountain, Three Forks to Skeenah Gap, the challenging Georgia Loop, Bushy Head Gap to Watson Gap and more.

Within easy driving distance of the TTC are the southern termini of both the Appalachian Trail and the BMT on Springer Mountain, the western terminus for the rugged Duncan Ridge Trail at Three Forks, 17 miles of hiking/mountain biking trails in the Aska Adventure Area, the Cohutta/Big Frog Wilderness trails known for their secluded forest pathways and the former location of Tennessee’s Ocoee Whitewater Center (that burned down in 2022) is famous for the Tanasi Trail System for hikers and bikers as well as opportunities for rafting, canoeing and kayaking.

Known as the ‘Apple Capital of Georgia’ as well as the Mountain Bike Capital of Georgia, the community’s amenities offer everything a hiker may need – lodging rooms, cabins, restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, a theatre, a laundromat, outfitter stores, shuttle services, a post office and more!

Tellico Plains was designated a Benton MacKaye Trail Town in August 2014.

Located in Monroe County at the base of the Unaka Mountains which separate Tennessee from North Carolina along TN68, TN39, TN360 and the Cherohala Skyway, this mountain community has much to offer outdoor enthusiasts.

An hour and a half drive from either Knoxville or Chattanooga, Tellico Plains is known as the ‘Gateway to the Cherokee National Forest’ and ‘The Little Town with the Big Backyard’. The rural community is just a short distance from the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) as the trail follows the state line and crosses the Tellico River – making it a perfect fit for the Trail Town designation.

Opportunities for outdoor recreation abound — a multitude of hiking and backpacking trails in the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, fly fishing on the Tellico River, the Cherohala Skyway, the Charles Hall Museum, camping iin the front country at Indian Boundary Recreation Area as well as at numerous campsites along the Tellico and Bald rivers and Citico Creek, equestrian trails on Starr Mountain and in or close to the Citico Creek Wilderness, mountain biking trails on Chilhowee Mountain as well as in the Ocoee River Gorge, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, impressive waterfalls (Bald River Falls, Conasauga Falls, Coker Creek Falls, Benton Falls and Falls Branch Falls), mile-high spots (Whigg Meadow, Bob Bald, Buck Bald and the Hangover), the Hiwassee River for rafters, kayakers and fly fishermen, the Ocoee River Gorge, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This vibrant mountain town has everything a family or a thru hiker might need or want to do – all in the town’s ‘Big Back Yard’. The town’s amenities include cabins, restaurants, a grocery store, two pharmacies, a laundromat and a post office – all in or very near the downtown area. Check out this BMT Trail Town. You won’t be disappointed!