Located in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Monroe County, Tellico Plains is nicknamed “The Little Town with a Big Back Yard.” Outdoor recreational opportunities are plentiful with hiking, camping, picnicking, swimming, bicycling, boating, fishing, hunting, sight-seeing and more.
Backpackers can discover the nearby 640,000-acre Cherokee National Forest. Tellico Plains is known as a “Trail Town,” so designated by the Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition and the Benton MacKaye Trail Association.
Bald River Falls, just a short drive from the center of Tellico Plains into the Cherokee National Forest, cascades nearly 100 feet. The Coker Creek Gold Festival heralds autumn with old-fashioned family fun, and music in the town square gazebo attracts crowds for Independence Day. Cherokee roots in this area are also preserved and celebrated.
The Tellico Plains area is a rich and diverse natural habitat for a variety of birds, wild animals and vegetation – over 20,000 species of plants, mammals, reptiles and fish.
Christina Presley uses a sluice to prospect for gold on Coker Creek near Tellico Plains, Tenn. (AP Photo/Saul Young, Knoxville News Sentinel)More Info
CHEROHALA GATEWAYTellico Plains is considered the gateway to the Cherohala Skyway, which was opened and dedicated in 1996. Designated a National Scenic Byway, the road cost over $100 million to construct.>The Skyway crosses through the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina. The name “Cherohala” comes from the names of the two national forests: “Chero” from the Cherokee and “hala” from the Nantahala.