McFarland Rd

Total Miles
21.6

Elevation

604.84 ft

Duration

2 Hours

Technical Rating

1

Easy

Best Time

Spring, Summer

Trail Overview

The route is a Forest Service road in the Cherokee National Forrest. The road is wide enough for two vehicles. It is mostly gravel and dirt with a few washouts. Be sure to watch out for fallen trees after storms. There is one campground along the way that is right along the creek. Nice place to stop for lunch or camp out. These spots are first come, first serve. Also, along the trail, you will find the old town of McFarland. It has a few structures still standing and is a cool place to stop and explore. One of the structures is the old concrete mixing plant that was used to build the powerhouse that is still in operation down the road. The other structure is an old water supply dam that was used by the concrete plant.

Photos of McFarland Rd

McFarland Rd
McFarland Rd

Difficulty

Gravel road wide enough for two vehicles.

History

McFarland was an old town that was right along the Hiwassee River it had a big part in building the Appalachia powerhouse. The powerhouse still supplies water to the hiwassee that allows for whitewater rafting in the area.

Technical Rating

1

Status Reports

David Collier
Jul 13, 2024
2021 Ford F-Series
Temporarily Closed
Closed Gate
Posted Sign
Still closed past Lost Creek campground.
Matthew Coxe
Jul 09, 2024
2010 Toyota Tundra
Open
Elijah Huff
Jun 01, 2024
4x4
Temporarily Closed
Closed Gate
Posted Sign
Trail Restoration
Gate closed just after lost creek campground. We saw large piles of gravel on the other side of the gate so i’d assume the trail is closed for repaving.
Hunter Powers
May 18, 2024
Open
Muddy/Wet
This trail is an extremely scenic trail, with many spots to hike and enjoy the wildlife. 4x4 is not required, but I suggest airing down to make your long journey on this trail more enjoyable. The road is rutted out, and is mostly made up of small to medium rocks sticking up from the ground.

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