The nearby proximity of the Cherokee National Forest to Tellico Plains opens the doors to hiking, backpacking, camping, sightseeing, wildlife viewing, hunting, touring, horseback riding, bicycling, and even gold panning. Pack a sandwich and find a picnic table at one of the overlooks, perch on a riverside boulder, or spread your blanket in a mountain meadow. Away from the city lights, stargazing is amazing. Lightning bugs flicker through the air on an early summer night, as the sound of a whip-o-will permeates the darkness. The area is diverse and lush in flora and fauna, and woodland walks can reveal wildflowers, ferns, mushrooms, mosses, wild berries, birds, an array of hardwood and evergreen trees. Take a walk within Tellico Plains, on the designated walkway just behind the Skyway Visitor Center. It's lined with ornamental pear trees, with a view across the "plains" of the surrounding mountains. Drive the backroads for vistas of rolling pastures, time-worn barns, grazing horses, and fields of corn. The Tellico Plains is a wonderful place to enjoy outdoor living.

Heavy stockings from March 15th through September 15th cover a 13-mile stretch on the upper Tellico River and big-fish potential occurs on the main river and on Citico Creek, one watershed to the north. Stocking from the Tellico trout hatchery is supported by special permits required to fish in designated waters. Stocked fish are generally larger than those stocked in Tennessee‚ regular hatchery-supported waters, and some trout escape harvest for several years. Weekly releases of 5000 rainbows, averaging 8 to 12 inches, occur in season. Fishing this section requires a Tellico Citico permit (between March 15 thru September 15).

Bald River and North River, tributaries of the Tellico, are managed as wild trout streams with brown, rainbow and brook trout. Fishermen here enjoy unspoiled wilderness settings and, more often than not, no company from other anglers. Bald River Falls cascades over 80 feet, easily viewed from the roadside, where this tributary joins the Tellico River, and upriver from the falls you are likely to be rewarded with rainbows and browns. These wild trout streams usually lack large individuals, but some brown trout as large as 10 pounds have been caught in the North River.

The diversity of the Tellico River is one of its major appeals. You can choose to walk just steps from your car to the river, fish where the river meanders by your campsite, or hike the backcountry into a remote tributary stream. These waters can be fished year-round, with freezing temperatures not usually lasting more than a week. You can fly fish in December and January since some of the spring-fed streams stay at temperatures in the 40's or even low 50's. Insect hatches are predictable and often; extraordinary numbers emerge at some times.

Reserve your lodging, pick up brochures, flyers, maps, at the Tellico Plains Chamber of Commerce Office, 411 Cherohala Skyway (Route 165) Tellico Plains, TN 37385

Pick up brochures, flyers, maps, at the Tellico Plains Visitor’s Center 225 Cherohala Skyway (Route 165) Tellico Plains, TN 37385 Various photos provided courtesy