Major Reroute of Benton MacKaye Trail Entering Smokies

Earlier this week the Benton MacKaye Trail Association announced that an agreement has been made for a major reroute of the Benton MacKaye Trail just outside and inside of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The announcement on their website states:

The BMTA has reached an agreement with the US Forest Service, National Park Service, Brookfield Renewables, Tennessee Valley Authority, Nature Conservancy, ATC and Fontana Village to eliminate the very dangerous road

walk between Deals Gap at the TN/NC State Line and Twentymile Ranger Station. Effective May 31st, 2014, the BMT will be rerouted from the Tapoco Section to use the Yellow Creek Mountain Trail to Fontana Village, and then over Fontana Dam to Lakeshore Trail. Within the National Park, the BMT would follow the entire Lakeshore Trail and no longer enter the Park at Twentymile Ranger Station. Hikers should use the existing route until that date, as the new route is heavily overgrown. The BMTA will be holding a series of work trips in the area to clear that section. Check the Activities Calendar for details of how you can help.

For more information and an overview of the reroute, including a map, please click here.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com