Trail Overview
Meadow Creek Tower Road is a scenic, beginner-friendly route in the Cherokee National Forest that leads to the beautifully renovated Meadow Creek Mountain Lookout Tower, offering panoramic 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains. Spanning approximately 2.3 miles, this short trail is ideal for novice offroaders, stock four-wheel-drive vehicles, and SxSs looking to transition from pavement to dirt. The trail starts near Burnett Gap on Highway 107 at an elevation of 2,022 feet and climbs approximately 770 feet up Orebank Ridge to reach a peak elevation of 2,788 feet. Along the way, drivers will navigate a mostly well-maintained dirt and gravel surface, though a few sections feature larger, embedded rocks that require basic tire placement. The route can be easily combined with nearby Big Clifty for a longer, 10-mile adventure, or extended east toward Brush Creek Road for a journey deeper into the mountains toward the French Broad River.
At the summit, the primary attraction is the historic Meadow Creek Mountain Lookout Tower, which has been recently restored to provide stunning vistas of the Appalachian landscape. A unique local feature near the tower's base is a set of identification numbers inset directly into the ground, which are famously visible from passing aircraft. This trail is generally accessible throughout most of the year, though winter weather can bring snow and ice that increases the difficulty. No specialized offroad recovery gear or high-clearance modifications are necessary under dry conditions, making it an excellent introductory run for any stock four-wheel-drive vehicle, SUV, or SxS. Visitors should keep an eye out for hikers and horses, as the area intersects with various multi-use trail systems within the national forest.
