North Carolina trails · Benton Mackaye -Cheoah Rd
Benton Mackaye -Cheoah Rd
A 25.1-mile network in North Carolina, with 4,232 ft of climbing. Reaches Stratton Bald and other pass/summit/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 4,750 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Stratton Bald (summit)
- Bob Bald (summit)
- Kirkland Gap (pass)
- Saddle Tree Gap (pass)
- Big Fat Gap (pass)
- Green Gap (pass)
- Yellowhammer Gap (pass)
- Bearpen Gap (pass)
- Oldfield Gap (pass)
- Lookout Rock (viewpoint)
Heads up
Getting there
BENTON MACKAYE -CHEOAH RD access. About 1 h 27 min drive (63 mi) from Waynesville. 35.43978, -83.79366 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:14 a.m., the sun rises at 7:40 a.m. and sets at 7:01 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:27 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 21 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 25.1-mile route works out to roughly 11 h 25 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- BENTON MACKAYE -CHEOAH RD + Appalachian National Scenic Trail — 2.9 mi loop, 748 ft gain
- BENTON MACKAYE -CHEOAH RD + Appalachian National Scenic Trail + ANST - CHEOAH RD — 14.3 mi loop, 4,725 ft gain
- FODDERSTACK MOUNTAIN + BENTON MACKAYE -CHEOAH RD — 1.6 mi loop, 328 ft gain
Across the border
- Continues into TN as BENTON MACKAYE -CHEOAH RD — view on the map
Nearby trails
- Wauchecha Bald — 6.3 mi
- Jenkins Ridge Trail — 9.3 mi
- Anst - Cheoah Rd — 13.6 mi
- Welch Ridge Trail — 15.2 mi