Whigg Meadow via Mud Gap Trail

You will start your hike off of the Cherohala Skyway. The trail-head is a small asphalt pull-off on the right if you are coming from Tellico Plains. From the trail-head the trail starts up and almost all of the trial is an uphill incline on the way there with about 700 feet of elevation change over 1.5 miles. The trail itself is an old 4-wheeling road so it is a bit rough but it is wide and ver...

To get to the trailhead, drive 22.5 miles on the Cherohala Skyway from Tellico Plains, Tennessee. If you are coming from the North Carolina side, drive 20.5 miles to the trailhead. The trailhead parking area is marked by a large green sign saying West Rattlesnake and is surrounded by a low stone wall. The trail starts on the left side of the parking lot and immediately descends to a trail split...

Hooper bald is one of the highest points in Graham County so the views from the top can be spectacular year round.  The trail-head starts at mile marker 8 on the Cherohala Skyway. From the trail-head you start your accent on a semi-paved trail and walk about a half-mile before reaching the edge of the bald. From there you can walk around and enjoy the views of the bald.  If you continue walking...

Huckleberry Knob is the highest point in the Cheoah Ranger District at 5,560 feet, and it offers expansive views of the surrounding Cherokee and Natahala National Forest. The hike is 2.4 miles roundtrip and begins at the parking lot between mile 8 and 9 up an old dirt road. You will go up the dirt road for about half a mile till you reach Oak Knob. Once you reach Oak Knob, which offers decent ...

8:30 a.m. and we’re winding our way down Highway 129 near Robbinsville, NC. The fog is still thick over the Little Tennessee River as we slow down crossing the bridge into Graham County. “I think we missed it,” I say as we continue onward. Within minutes the Tapoco Lodge comes into view. My pre-hike reconnaissance tells me that the lodge is one mile past the trailhead. I turn around in a pull-o...

If you're looking to get off the beaten path and take the road less traveled, North River Road is your ticket to solitude.A popular loop for the locals is starting on Tellico River Road, then getting on North River Road to make your way up the mountain all the way to the Cherohala Skyway. Take the Skyway back down the mountain toward Tellico Plains or head on over to Robbinsville, North Carolin...