Originally Posted by
Siestita
Living in Central Kentucky, the Daniel Boone Forest and Big South Fork have been close-at-hand weekend backpacking destinations for me the the past thirty years. During that time I've done many relatively short two to four night wanderings on the Sheltowee Trace, eventually section hiking all of it. I've just returned from spending Friday and Saturday nights there, re-visiting the Trace's Railroad Fork section, east of U.S. 27 near Flat Rock.
My Southern Appalachian hiking has been limited to trips of two to 14 nights, always done along and/or near near the AT, specifically at Standing Indian Loop, the Smokies, the Grayson Highlands, and the Three Ridges area south of Shenandoah N.P. I've walked only a few short segments of the Benton McKaye Trail as it passes through the Smokies (Big Creek-Mt. Sterling-Laurel Gap; Newton Bald; Noland Creek).
As you have probably already learned, either from reading or by visiting Southeastern KY beauty spots such as Cumberland Falls State Park (through which the Trace passes), that region is full of pretty creeks, cliffs, and eroded rock formations, many of which form 'rock houses'. It's a slightly different type of beauty than what mountains offer. While walking the Trace you make many abrupt elevation changes, but none of them are very lengthy. In its northern portion the Trace bounces up and down between about 700 feet elevation (gorges and valleys with major streams) and 1,000 feet (ridge tops, sometimes leading to populated plateau land). In its southern most portion, through the Big South Fork National Recreation Area, the Trace vacillates between roughly 1,000 feet of elevation (upper branches of the B.S.F. River) and gorge rim/plateau areas up at 1,600 feet.
As mentioned above, I know little about the Benton McKaye Trail. But, I imagine that, compared to the Sheltowee Trace, it is significantly higher, perhaps varying between lows of about 2,000 feet elevation (examples : Davenport Gap, Fontana Lake) and some, perhaps many, ridge tops above 4,000 feet.
So, the relative attractiveness of the two trails would vary, at least for me, depending upon when during the year I would do the hike. For a winter journey, walking on the Trace would probably be more comfortable, and perhaps also safer. For late fall and early spring hiking, the Sheltowee Trace would also be the preferable trail for me. But, to beat summer's heat, I'd prefer hike in the southern mountains, perhaps on the Benton McKaye or the AT.
If you decide to hike the Sheltowee Trace, I suggest beginning at its northern terminus. Doing so will save some of the best sections for the latter part of your hike.
Saltysack--By John Muir Trail (JMT) you may mean the world renowned trail in California. But, to confuse matters, some other, much later, trail builders have also usedMuir's name. There is, for example, a John Muir Trail (JMT) about 70 miles long located entirely in the Tennessee portion of the Big South Fork N.R.A (BSF) After section hiking the Sheltowee Trace I did that one also. It's very attractive, as are some other BSF trails.