Tellico Plains rests on the edge of the Cherokee National Forest in southeastern Tennessee. Great Telliquo was once home for the Cherokee, a tribe who was finally pushed out of the way by 1840. It wasn't long afterward when the Babcock Lumber Company moved in, striping the land of usable timber and leaving behind a decimated section of the Appalachian forest. The Weeks Act of 1911 enabled the Federal Government to purchase this worn-out land, leaving the USDA Forest Service the huge task of restoration.
   The Cherohala Skyway, a marvelous scenic byway, climbs its way through the rejuvenated timberland and into mile-high peaks of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. One of the byway's picturesque stops, just south of Tellico Plains, is the beautiful Conasauga Falls. Just a few miles out of town on the Cherohala Skyway (TN-68), look for a sign to Conasauga Falls turning right on FR 314. There is no sign at the first "Y" on the forest road where a right turn leads to the falls. An easy hike from the parking lot on Trail #170 leads down to where the cascading falls drops 30 feet along the Tellico River Basin. Once leaving the Cherohala Skyway, be prepared for a rough and rocky drive. Although the FR 314 begins as a paved road, it soon turns into a "washboard," with plenty of twists and turns.

    Area Map