This section of the Benton MacKaye Trail is the final connector into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. One of the more interesting aspects of this trail is that part of it follows the original Appalachian Trail route. It runs basically uphill from Cheoah Dam to the edge of GSMNP on the Tennessee-North Carolina Line and is about 5 miles long.
From I-40 take TN 72 to US 411. Turn North on US 411 which is also TN 72. Take TN 72 which turns off US 411 just north of Vonore and the Little Tennessee River Bridge to US 129 South. Follow US 129 past the 21 miles of bad curves to the TN/ NC State Line at Deal's Gap. This road is also known as 'throwup pike' because it will make anyone with any tendency whatsoever to carsickness seccumb.
There is a wooden sign at the gated road on your right, and all the blazes have recently been repainted. See the picture of this trailhead below. The left insert is of the gated road and the right insert is of the trail sign. Take the trail is this direction if you wish to avoid much climbing. If you walk it this direction, follow the gated maintenance road for about 3 miles, then watch for the double diamond blaze to indicate the sharp switchback to your left onto dug trail. From there it is about 2 miles of trail to Cheoah Dam.
The other end of the trail is down US 129 at Cheoah Dam, with parking left or the road and right of the dam. See picture above of the parking at the dam. The trailhead is across the road up a TVA powerline access road. Follow the access road uphill to the first hairpin curve back to the left. The dug trail continues from the middle of the curve up the hollow and then sidehills up to the ridgeline. Hiked in this direction, the trail presents a quite challenging climb.
It was in this section of trail that the scouting party encountered a very brave terrapin who regarded us solemnly without retreating into his shell.
Soon one crosses under a powerline where the briars and undergrowth can be fierce. The trail angles slightly downhill across the powerline. After a fairly gentle section it begins to climb steeply. This very steep section is the remainder of the old Appalachian Trail route. Look sharply through here in order to find the old metal Appalachian Trail marker embedded in a tree. (See photo to the left)
From the old Appalachian Trail marker the trail climbs steeply for about 100 yards, then flattens out on the ridgeline for about 100 feet. Next it sidehills around the ridge to the left with a gradual uphill (10% grade) for about 1/3 mile and regains the ridgeline in a gap that we call Mayapple Gap (for obvious reasons).
It follows the ridgeline for 100 yards to a 90 degree left turn down another ridge.
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It follows this ridge for about 1/3 mile into another gap, then sidehills to the left on graded trail running slightly downhill to another 90 degree turn to the left down another ridge. This is the State Line Ridge (TN/NC ), and it follows this ridge about 1/4 mile down to a point where it sidehills to the right for 100 feet to make the tie in to the powerline maintenance road.
This intersection is double blazed well from both directions. The powerline maintenance road is built on an almost perfect contour, with little elevation change from the intersection to Deal's Gap.