This week we talk with Richard Harris with the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, who fills us in on this 285-mile companion trail to the Appalachian Trail. Like the AT, the BMT starts at Springer Mountain, Ga., but takes a more westerly route north, to Fontana Dam on the southern end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From there, it traces the eastern border of the Smokies to its northern conclusion at Davenport Gap.
Key links promised in the podcast
- Benton MacKaye Trail Association. Here you’ll find background on the BMT as well as a variety of resources to help you hike the trail, whether it’s a short day hike or the entire 285-mile trail. You can also find guided hikes on the site.
- Cherokee Hiking Club. Also active in the area and full of helpful resources.
Key facts about the BMT
- Nearly half the route is on land managed as Wilderness by both the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service.
- Average grade: 6 percent
- Maximum Grade: 22 percent
- Low point: 765 feet at crossing of the Hiwassee River in Reliance, TN.
- High point: 5,843 feet at summit of Mt. Sterling in the Smokies.
- Blaze: White diamond, 5″ across by 7″ tall. (None permitted in wilderness.)
From our news segment:
Camground hosting
- For information on campground host openings in the Clinch Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson national forests of southwest Virginia, go here.
- For volunteer opportunities in general in National Forests, go here.
Ramp collecting
For more information on collecting ramps in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, go here.