On November 5, 2016, we went to Tellico to hike along Bald River We have hiked the Bald River Trail inside the Bald River Gorge Wilderness many times, but I wanted to hike the trail on the opposite side of Forest Road 126. This trail is called the Brookshire Trail on the USGS maps, and it is outside of the designated Wilderness. It also now follows part of the Benton MacKaye Trail.
There were some people camped at the trailhead, so we parked a little down the road and headed up the trail. The trail was in good shape and was a nice, easy stroll. We eventually reached the intersection with the Benton MacKaye/Brookshire Trail. There was a nice waterfall at the intersection, and we hiked a little on the trail to the left, then came back and continued on the trail to the right. We hiked for a mile or two up the Benton MacKaye/Brookshire Trail until the trail started to ascend up a ridge. We then spent half an hour trying to find a decent flat spot for a campsite, and then settled in for the night.
This was a nice hike. We didn’t see anyone at all on the trail, and the hike was pretty flat and relaxing, with some nice fall colors. There weren’t any open views, but the creeks were pretty.
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