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Benton MacKaye Trail

Southern Appalachians, Georgia / Tennessee / North Carolina

Distance
449.9 km
Elev. gain
20,053 m
Start
Appalachian Trailhead
Finish
Trailhead Parking

A simplified drawing of the real route — the distance above is the published figure, not the length of this line.

0 km2321,760 m above sea level442 km

Ground elevation sampled along the mapped route.

Summits & passes

  • Rich Mountain
  • Tooni / Toonowee Mountain
  • Deadennen Mountain
  • Tipton Mountain
  • Patterson Mountain
  • Fowler Mountain
  • Hemp Top
  • Big Frog Mountain
  • Big Rock Island
  • Peels Top
  • Rocky Top
  • Sugar Mountain
  • Strawberry Knob
  • Yellowhammer Gap
  • Flint Gap
  • Newton Bald
  • Hyatt Bald

Campsites

  • Glamp Blue Ridge
  • Jacks River Fields
  • Thunder Rock Campground
  • Lost Creek Campground
  • Whigg Meadow
  • Fontana Dam Shelter
  • North Shore #81
  • Kirkland Creek #76
  • Lower Forney #74
  • Upper Ripshin #62
  • Upper Chasteen #48
  • Laurel Gap Shelter

Water sources

  • Mouse Creek Spring

Common questions

How long is the Benton MacKaye Trail?
The Benton MacKaye Trail is 449.9 km (279.6 miles).
How much elevation gain does the Benton MacKaye Trail have?
The Benton MacKaye Trail has about 20,053 m (65,791 ft) of total climbing, measured along Far's route for the trail.
Where does the Benton MacKaye Trail start and finish?
The Benton MacKaye Trail runs between Appalachian Trailhead and Trailhead Parking.
Is there water on the Benton MacKaye Trail?
Far's catalog records 1 mapped water source along the Benton MacKaye Trail, including Mouse Creek Spring. Seasonal flow varies and mapped sources can run dry — check current conditions with the land manager before relying on any of them.

Sources

Route geometry from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Trail conditions, permits, and hazards change — verify before you go.