Hi everyone,

I recently completed a solo thru hike of the BMT (trail name “Wayfinder”) and decided to post a trip report to help those who might be planning a hike on the trail. Originally, I planned to continue north on the AT at Davenport Gap for a while, but decided to stop at Big Creek. I found everything I wanted on the BMT.

I completed my northbound thru hike in three weeks from 3/22/17 to 4/12/17. This included two zero days at Fontana and a couple of shorter <10 mile days during town visits. The most miles I hiked in a day was 23, but I usually averaged in the 15-20 mile range.

The night before my hike, I stayed at the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega, GA. They picked me up in Atlanta, lodged me for the night, and shuttled me to Springer the next morning all for a price lower than most shuttles alone would have cost. An interesting side note: almost every AT thru hiker I spoke with at the hostel did not know that the Benton MacKaye Trail exists.

On my thru hike, I stopped in every town along the way and carried 3-5 days of food at a time. I usually have very little appetite when I hike, and being a skinny dude with a super fast metabolism, eating binges in town are essential for me to maintain a healthy weight. Plus, I simply enjoy experiencing the local culture of small towns along the way and like to support mom and pop establishments.

Here’s the rundown:

Maps/Guides

I used SGT Rock’s BMT Thru-Hikers’ Guide 2014-2015 Edition, Nat Geo Maps 777 and 781, and the $1.00 NPS trail map of the Smokies. I also used a basic orienteering compass.

What I liked

The solitude. I saw a few backpackers in Georgia, including a BMTA maintainer, but went 70 miles in the Tennessee and TN/NC state line area without seeing another hiker. I saw the most hikers in the Smokies, but most did not even know they were on the BMT. Unlike the AT, the BMT is more of a wilderness experience. This is why I go hiking, so I loved it. I felt like I got much more out of this hike than the 200 mile section of the AT I did two years ago from Springer to Newfound Gap. The AT has become too crowded for my taste. The BMT was everything I hoped for in a long hike. Oh, and I had a pleasant encounter with Tipi Walter around Bob Bald!

What I didn’t like

Sharing campsites for my last few nights in the Smokies. I prefer to camp alone and choose my own sites, so this restricted my hike at the end. I really enjoyed the trail in the Smokies, just not the camping. However, when I thought about the overcrowding/shelter situation on the AT just a ridgeline away, I felt much better about my route through the park. Elsewhere on the BMT, there were some sections of trail that utilized current or old FS roads that were less than desirable. Recent windstorms and fires caused a lot of down trees in the area between the Little Frog Wilderness and Lost Creek. Most of these obstacles were easily maneuvered around, but they made the going tough at times. Otherwise, there was not much to dislike about the trail.

Hardest parts

Toccoa River to Skeenah Gap Road
Unicoi Gap to Rocky Top
Tapoco to Fontana.

Overall, I felt the trail was more of a “moderate” trail with occasional short strenuous climbs.

Easiest parts

Springer to Toccoa River (northbound)
Lost Creek to Unicoi Gap
The Smokies--even the big climbs in the Smokies were gently graded.

Favorite sections

Toccoa River, Big Frog Mountain, Hiwassee River, Tellico River to the Hangover, Little Frog Wilderness, the many creekside walks in the Smokies. I also enjoyed the early roadwalk section in the Aska Road area where the trail passes the Shallowford Bridge and Iron Bridge Cafe.

Least favorite sections

The road walk on Stanley Creek Road in Georgia, the section around Unicoi Gap where dirt bikers nearly ran me down, a fire damaged section between Little Big Frog Wilderness and Lost Creek where the trail was essentially an obstacle course. Any shared section with the AT which felt like an interstate highway.

Hitching

A mixed bag. I easily hitched into and out of Ducktown and Cherokee, getting rides within minutes. I had no luck getting into Blue Ridge and ended up walking the five miles into town.

Water Sources

Water sources were plentiful for the majority of the trail, with the exception of the 15 or so miles north of the Toccoa River. All of the water sources in this section indicated as unreliable in SGT Rock’s guide were dry, including Payne Gap. I loaded up at the Toccoa River before entering this section and supplemented at the creek behind the church .2 miles down Skeenah Gap Road. Someone else had mentioned that in an earlier post here.

Stream crossings

Too many to mention. Some can be rock hopped, but many I just plowed through in my trail runners. I encountered two sketchy crossings. The first was West Fork Rough Creek coming out of Big Frog. This would have probably been a super easy crossing under normal conditions, but I hit it the morning after an all night deluge. I made it through the first knee deep crossing okay, but opted to take a detour around the second one as it was longer and swifter than the first and the Rough Creek Trail offered a convenient bypass. I was possibly being a little too cautious as a solo hiker, but I believe I made the right decision. The second problematic crossing was Noland Creek in the Smokies, which is also a double crossing. Again, I hit this one after a big rain. The first crossing was thigh deep and the second almost up to my waist. On the second crossing, I ended up bushwhacking 100 yards downstream and fording where the current was slower. I also recall a lot of stream crossings in the Lost Creek and Brookshire Creek areas, but none of those presented any problems.

Trail markings and blazes

I have to commend the BMTA as they have done an excellent job blazing the trail. Even the road walks were well marked. In wilderness areas where blazes are not allowed, the trail is usually easily followed. I did make use of my Nat Geo maps on a few occasions and took a few compass bearings just to make sure I was headed in the right direction. The only major wrong turn I made was at the intersection of the Jacks River Trail in the Cohutta. There is a missing sign here and I went east when I should have gone west. I came out at Dally Gap and took the Hemp Top Trail to rejoin the BMT--not a big deal. The trail along Brookshire Creek is blazed with white rectangular blazes which confused me a little and made me question if I was still on the BMT. Also, The BMT goes straight through the Tapoco Lodge property on their private paved road. I wasn’t sure at first if this was right, but that’s the way it goes.

Gear
For those interested, here is a partial list of gear I used on the hike and would use again:

Osprey Aether 60 pack
Eureka Spitfire 1 tent
Marmot Sawtooth 15 bag
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite air mattress
Merrell Moab Ventilator trail runners
Sawyer Squeeze filter
Packa rain parka

Trail towns/resupply

Blue Ridge: The downtown area away from the ugly commercial strip is nice. I stayed at the Douglas Inn and visited Mike’s Trackside BBQ and Fannin Brewing Company while I was there. I would recommend all three. The Douglas Inn has on-site laundry. Food Lion was nearby.

Ducktown: Not much here except for a Piggly Wiggly and a surprisingly good pizza joint: Copper Station. The Copper Inn next door looked nasty and there wasn’t anybody staying there.

Reliance: A small fishing community without many services. I sent myself a mail drop and stayed overnight at Reliance Fly and Tackle which I highly recommend. Being that severe storms were coming through the night I stayed, I splurged and stayed in their rental cabin for the night, but you can easily camp outside for a small fee. I ordered lots of burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs from their deli. They are really friendly people. Their store does have a few items a hiker might want (Clif bars, fig bars, beef jerky), but definitely nothing for long term resupply. They also did not have any fuel other than Camp Heat/Sterno type fuel.

Fontana: I had been hiking each day when I arrived at Fontana and decided to rest for two days at the Lodge before heading into the Smokies. As you can imagine, the place was packed with AT hikers. Fontana General Store gouged me for resupply, but it was still better than sending a mail drop. Plenty to choose from. The Wildwood Grill had good food, if not a little overpriced. I used the computer and printer to make my campsite permits for the Smokies. When I left, I was happy that I was continuing on the BMT and not the AT.

Cherokee: I only visited the extreme northern part of town and didn’t bother venturing any farther south. I did a re-supply for two days at a gas station and ate at the Little Princess Restaurant which was nothing special. Way too many tourists! I was happy to get back to the trail. This was probably my least favorite town stop.

Summary

If you are looking for a long hike that delivers more of a wilderness experience than the AT, this is it. I felt like it made me a better backpacker and I had lots of time and space for self-reflection and meditation. A wonderful experience.