Falls Branch (USFS 87)

Hike Name: Falls Branch (USFS 87) Location: southeast TN Length: 2.6 Miles Roundtrip Submitted by: Ryan Janikula Date Submitted: 0/0/00 Rating:	more Tennessee trail reviews Tennessee national parks Tennessee state parks
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Description
At the Rattlesnake Rock Trailhead walk left to a gap in the stone wall and hike down to a wilderness sign and registration box. Take the trail to the left which is CNF87 (the trail to the right is Jeffrey Hell Trail) and go down an old woods road that used to be the Tellico-Robbinsville Rd. The trail blazes are cutbark blazes and are pretty difficult to spot but the trail is easy to follow. As you wander through hemlock and rhododendron you can see the main highway to the left in about 0.5 miles. At 0.9 miles you can see a black plastic silt fence to the left. Soon after this you need to look up on the right for a white arrow on a tree that indicates a sharp right turn up the roadbank. I will go back soon and make a waypoint for this trail junction. If you pass the junction, there is a large tree blocking the old road right past the junction. Just turn around and look for the arrow. Now you start the difficult part of the hike but truley the most beautiful as you travel through a virgin forest of buckeyes, yellow birches, sugar maples and large black cherries. As you descend very steeply, look for Falls Branch. Cross the creek on stepping stones if it's safe and squeeze through a rock crack. At this point you will hear one of the most beautiful falls I've hiked too, Falls Branch Falls. These falls fall 55 feet over Sassafras Ridge. Retrace your steps back.

Directions to Hike
From Tellico Plains, take TN 165 (Tellico-Robbinsville Rd; the Cherohala Skyway) east for 22 miles, passing first a right turn on USFS 210 to the Tellico District Ranger Station and Bald River Falls. About 10 miles farther pass a left turn to Indian Boundary Campground (USFS 345). There are several parking areas and overlooks along TN 165; find the one on the left with a sign fro hikes 196 and 87 (Rattlesnake Rock Trailhead). If you reach the state line, turn around and go back 1.4 miles.

Contact Information
Tellico / Hiwassee Ranger District
250 Ranger Station Road
Tellico Plains, TN 37385
(423) 253-8400

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/cherokee/contact2003/index

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