Cherokee Hiking Club
198 Crews Drive, Benton, TN 37307

Coker Creek Falls Trail Dayhike
Saturday, October 2, 2010

Hike Leader: Marc Bernatti 423 261-2573

Hike Rating: easy to moderate

Hike Distance: around 3 miles, mostly downhill.  A car shuttle will be used; kids and pets are welcome. 

Hike Description: The trail starts at the Coker Creek Falls parking lot, follows the creek and ends at the Benton MacKaye/John Muir Trails near the Hiwassee River. At times, when hill hugging, the footing is difficult. A walking stick could be useful. Bring enough water and a snack. The Welcome Center in Coker Creek will be open to get what you forgot. The trail has had some serious maintenance and improvements done by maintainers and the USFS. With Mother Nature smiling on us, we should have a pleasant hike.  

Directions:  Meet at the Cocker Creek Welcome Center/Post Office on Hwy 68 (mile marker 34) at 10 AM. From Ducktown, go North on Hwy 68 - approximately 25 miles. From Tellico Plains, travel South on Hwy 68 - approximately 10 miles.

We’ll work out a shuttle arrangement and drop off a vehicle or vehicles at the bottom and take those drives back up to the parking lot to start our hike. The road near the bottom is very rough so, we need high clearance vehicles with good traction to get down and come back out.

Post Trip Report:    This day was made for hiking up here in Coker Creek. The weather was perfect and the colors were just starting. Eight hikers, three from the Club and five guests, met at the Coker Creek Welcome Center to carpool. One vehicle was stationed down at the bridge to shuttle the hikers back to the parking lot at hike completion. The Forestry Service had done a great job fixing up and improving the trail. Segments where the footing had become difficult had been leveled and in many places almost flagstoned. Areas that had been washed out had been rebuilt. There were even a couple of 2-3 level rock steps built where the trail had become too steep. The hand railed way down from the trail to the Falls was improved and a side trail is established along the Creek tying back to the trail. There was a good sized blow down tree across the trail mid way, but easily climbed over. We met a number of back packer on the trail and passed a couple of overnight campers who were just breaking camp creek side. Attesting to the great weekend, the area at the bridge was crowded with campers and the roads in and out were full of hunters and their vehicles. After shuttling back to the parking lot, as we were driving out, a couple of wild hogs crossed the road on a full run. No doubt, they and others were spurred on by the hunter’s dogs. However, we didn’t see or hear any dogs all day. Making the hike were Jane, Joanne, and Marc from our Club. The guests were Tim and Connie Stephenson, ‘Polk’ Potcropowitz, Alex Mohery, and Kent Chapman.

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