Climb mountains through green forests, splash across trout-filled rivers on the Benton MacKaye Trail. This trail is an Appalachian footpath of almost 300 miles (480 km). Named for the American forester and conservationist who sparked the idea for the Appalachian Trail, the Benton Mackaye Trail runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Davenport Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail passes through Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and a multitude of wilderness areas.
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Georgia, Benton MacKaye Trail
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Benton MacKaye Trail
289 miles • Georgia, Tennessee & North Carolina
Download our guide to access the Benton MacKaye Trail map, tracks, waypoints, and comments! Climb mountains through green forests, splash across trout-filled rivers on the Benton MacKaye Trail. This trail is an Appalachian footpath of almost 289 miles (480 km). Named for the American forester and conservationist who sparked the idea for the Appalachian Trail, the Benton Mackaye Trail runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Davenport Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail passes through 3 states and a multitude of wilderness areas.
$11.99 full guide
$11.99 full guide
Benton MacKaye Trail
How can I get it?
The Benton MacKaye Trail map is available as an in-app purchase in our Guthook Guides app, a free download from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
Our iOS and Android apps do differ slightly in their appearance. However, the majority of their features remain the same, and they access the same trail guide data.
The Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT), named for the man who originally proposed the idea for the Appalachian Trail, is an approximately 290-mile trail in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. It shares the southern terminus of the AT, crosses it several times, and ends in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near the Appalachian Trail, making it an possible alternate route or loop with the AT.
The BMT is far less popular than the southern section of the AT, and far less developed, so those attempting to hike it should be ready for a wilder, more difficult experience. Along the way, you’ll visit deep wildernesses in the Chattahoochee-Oconee and Cherokee National Forests, high ridge lines and low river valleys, and some of the more remote corners of the Smoky Mountains.
We do not have a town/resupply guide for the BMT, so we highly recommend you purchase one of the guidebooks for the trail before planning your trip. See the Info tab for more on the Benton MacKaye Trail Association and guidebook options.
$11.99
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