Hiawassee, Georgia

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-h...

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 ...

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 th...

North River Road is located in the Nantahala National Forest near Tellico Plains. To get to North River Campground you can either drive up the Cherohala Skyway about 6 miles then turn when you see the sign for the campground and bald river falls. Another way to get to the campsites along North Ri...

Park at the welcome center of Toccoa College.The trailhead is behind the welcome center, starting at the gates to the right of the center. The trail takes you along a creek on a gravel trail. After a short distance, you will reach Toccoa Falls, where the water pours off the rocks from over 180 fe...

To visit the falls, take US-74 west from Bryson City to exit 64 . Take a left at the exit and drive on Alarka Road for about 10 miles. Follow the road all the way to the end where you will find a turnaround. Don't make the mistake of following the forest service road (it is gated), as it is not ...

Yellow Mountain Fire Tower features some of the best views, looking out over both the Northern Georgia mountains as well as seeing the flat-lands of South Carolina past the mountain ranges. This hike is pretty well known for its 12-mile round trip trek, starting in Cashiers, NC, however, there's ...

There are many trailheads leading into the wilderness on either the Tennessee or North Carolina side. My favorite is the Big Fat Gap trail on the North Carolina side at an elevation of 3,060'. To see the best of what this area has to offer take the Hangover Lead South Trail to the 5,180' Hangover...

Your Shuckstack adventure starts at the Fontana Dam outside of Bryson City, NC. As the highest dam East of the Rocky Mountains, it's a sight on its own. This will be your last chance to fill up water bottles and use the restroom so take advantage. You can leave on foot from the dam and continue ...

The Cowee Bald Fire Tower is located in the Nantahala National Forest near Bryson City North Carolina. To get there you can either drive almost all the way to the top about .2 miles from the top but to get there you will need to have a 4WD or a higher clearance vehicle to cross a small stream. Ho...

At the foot of Blackrock Mountain just outside of Highlands, North Carolina, lies one of the most unique and secluded natural playgrounds around.  Granite City is composed of several massive granite boulders, ranging between 10-40 feet tall.  This spot is most popular for bouldering (mostly V0-V2...

Whiteside Mountain is simply breathtaking, there is no way around it.  Views of the mountain from the South expose its sheer granite face, which runs almost its entire length East-to-West.  However, the views of the mountain are just the beginning, as this hike climbs to higher heights than just ...

Turtletown Falls Trail is a loop trail that takes you by a waterfall located near Farner, Tennessee.

The hike to Big Bend Falls begins on the Chattooga River Trail at the Burrell's Ford Campground. To get here you take Burrell's Ford Road off of SC 107. There will be a good sized gravel parking area off to the left about 3 miles down Burrell's Ford Road. When you park the car you can walk down t...

There are a few options for getting to Citico Creek, you can either go up the windy gravel road from US 411 or get off of the Cherohala Skyway and go down the mountain past the Indian Boundary campground. The Citico Creek campground has about 5 or 6 spots but is rarely full because it is very sec...

The trail to Kings Creek begins behind the bulletin board in the Burrells Ford primitive campground parking lot. It is an easy .5 mile trail to the falls. The falls are only 70ft high but they are beautiful, there is an area to the side of the falls with some nice sitting rocks and the area under...