Upper Tellico Off-Road Vehicle Area

Pets must be restrained or on a leash at all times while in developed recreation areas.

Nantahala National Forest

Length: 5.8  miles
Rating: Strenuous

Located near the town of Murphy, North Carolina in Cherokee County the Upper Tellico area is a high-elevation basin formed by the Unicoi Mountains. The ORV trails are a network of old logging roads and skid trails that range from "easy" to "most difficult".

It is one of only a few areas in the National Forest in North Carolina where off-road vehicles may be used. The trails are open to all uses-trail bikes, all-terrain vehicles, and four-wheel drive vehicles-except one trail that's open to ATV use only. Some badly-eroded routes have been closed to allow the land to heal and to protect water quality.

Directions:

From Murphy, North Carolina, go north on NC 1326 (Joe Brown Highway) for 2.8 miles. Turn right on NC 1331 for 5.5 miles. Turn right on NC 1337 (Davis Creek Road). Go 5 miles to the top of the mountain and Allen Gap
staging area. (NC 1337 becomes a gravel road--FR 420.)