Maryville To North Georgia (Helen, Cleveland area) With Travel Trailer....Best Route? (Knoxville: home)

[crtfour]

Hi,


I'm relatively new to the area and will be making a trip from Maryville to Helen, GA with a 25 foot travel trailer. I have the option of either going through Tellico Plains and Cherokee National Forest to Blairsville, GA and then onto Helen or essentially taking a longer way via 441 around the mountain through Ocoee, Elijay GA and Dahloneja GA and onto Helen.

I have plenty of experience with the trailer and have been up and down I-40 without issue but wasn't sure how tight the turns were with the shorter route.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated.


Thank you!


Rob

[creeksitter]

I used to travel a lot between Athens, GA and Knoxville and settled on 68 as my preferred route. The trick is to turn off on 123 above turtletown that quickly becomes NC 294 and jogs over to 129 via a short sretch of 64. (don't try this without a map).

There are a couple of curvy stretches north of turtletown where you'll want to take it slow but most of 68 has been improved in recent years.

[UniqueFreak]

Originally Posted by crtfour

Hi,


I'm relatively new to the area and will be making a trip from Maryville to Helen, GA with a 25 foot travel trailer. I have the option of either going through Tellico Plains and Cherokee National Forest to Blairsville, GA and then onto Helen or essentially taking a longer way via 441 around the mountain through Ocoee, Elijay GA and Dahloneja GA and onto Helen.

I have plenty of experience with the trailer and have been up and down I-40 without issue but wasn't sure how tight the turns were with the shorter route.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated.


Thank you!


Rob

I would personally take 40,to 441 down to Cornelia,Ga and turn off towards Helen.That's just me. I am from that area but not as familiar with NC and TN.

[crtfour]

Thank you for the replies. Going there I took 68 to 294 to 129. Coming down the mountain on 129 was a bit of a white knuckle experience. Therefore on the way back I took 52 west to 76 west then went all the way back to Maryville via 441....much better experience.


Rob

[creeksitter]

Oh dear. I knew Helen was in the mountains and it just didn't occur to me one would go down and then back up again. My apologies. Glad you are home safe and sound.

[danielj72]

Originally Posted by crtfour

Thank you for the replies. Going there I took 68 to 294 to 129. Coming down the mountain on 129 was a bit of a white knuckle experience. Therefore on the way back I took 52 west to 76 west then went all the way back to Maryville via 441....much better experience.


Rob

I know that white knuckle experience. I took my travel trailer to Cherokee NC via Maggie Valley and it scared me to death. I thought I was going to smoke my brakes and end up a news story at 6. I will keep your experience in mind if we go to Helen, which I have Benin thinking about.