Benton MacKaye Trail

The Benton MacKaye Trail is a strenuous, one-way backpacking route across the Smokies, about 93.4 miles from Fontana Dam to Big Creek Campground. It tracks the Fontana Lake shore before climbing through the park’s high ridges to Mount Sterling, then drops to Big Creek. This entry covers that Fontana-to-Big-Creek park segment; it does not add the older Twentymile-to-Davenport Gap itinerary. The signed trail continues beyond the park, but Big Creek is the endpoint represented here. BMTA access mile markers span 93.4 miles; the mapped line is about 91.6 miles because its generalized geometry is shorter than the official access-mile interval.

Treat this as a multi-day wilderness trip, not a day hike. A reasonable plan is roughly 10–12 hiking days, or about 80 hours of walking before long breaks; pace depends on your daily mileage and how much time you give the climbs. This is a point-to-point route, so arrange a shuttle or stage vehicles at both ends. Overnight stays in the park’s backcountry require a permit and advance campsite reservations. Work out a night-by-night itinerary before setting out rather than assuming you can camp wherever the day ends.

From Fontana Dam, the route follows the lake corridor through the Lakeshore Trail area, then turns into Noland Creek. The long lakeside stretch trades ridge views for quieter coves and a sense of scale: the reservoir’s shoreline reaches into valleys that were once settled. Near Noland Creek, the tread follows an old roadbed in places, with bridges and several unbridged creek fords farther up. Lake levels and rainfall can change how crossings feel, so do not assume every stream has a bridge.

The route leaves the lake country with sustained climbing over Noland Divide and Newton Bald, then descends toward Smokemont. This is the first major change in character: long wooded grades replace the easier lakeshore miles, and the route repeatedly rises and falls rather than steadily progressing toward the finish. Near Smokemont, the BMT passes the Chasteen Creek cascade area before climbing across Hughes Ridge. The route is assembled from named park trails, so junctions matter; keep the current route description and map handy instead of relying on the Benton MacKaye name alone at every intersection.

Beyond Hughes Ridge, the line drops toward Enloe Creek and crosses Raven Fork on an old steel bridge. It then climbs steeply over Hyatt Ridge and drops to Beech Gap at Straight Fork Road. Expect another climb from Beech Gap through Balsam fir forest toward Laurel Gap Shelter. These are remote, strenuous sections with repeated elevation changes; a short mileage day here can still take real effort. The shelter is a route landmark, not a substitute for planning a permitted campsite.

The final high ridge leads to Mount Sterling’s fire tower, the high point of this Smokies crossing at about 5,842 feet. The tower gives a broad look across the surrounding mountains and marks the last major summit before the finish. From Mount Sterling the route makes a sharp descent of roughly 4,000 feet in about six miles to Big Creek Campground. That sustained downhill is a demanding end to a long trip, especially with a full pack; budget time and energy for it rather than treating the summit as the finish.

Natural water is generally available along the route, but treat it before drinking. The Noland Creek section includes unbridged fords, and high water can make a crossing more difficult. Backcountry permits and reserved campsites are required for overnight trips. Pets are prohibited on this trail under the park’s normal rules. Check current road and trail notices before your trip, especially if your shuttle plan depends on reaching the Straight Fork or Balsam Mountain Road access points.