Directions to state line campground

vanguard

vanguard

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Location
Apex, NC
I've been to tellico a few times but this is my first time staying at the state line campground in TN. What's the best way to get there? A bunch of us tow with 12-16' trailers so if that changes your mind let me know.

I had planned on just towing right across trail 1 until I got there. Is that the best way?
 
Trail #1 has two nasty switchbacks that I had trouble w/ pulling an empty trailer.....not impossible, but pretty hairy.

We took the back way out on the Skyway in TN down to 143 into Robbinsville.....lots of big hills.

Ask Broncomania about it.....

D.
 
J-10 truck and 18' trailer, made it fine. towing in. I wouldn't make it out that way though. I like the Skyway via Robinsville myself.
 
I have made it via both Robbinsville/Skyway and Murphy/Trail 1 recently. It would be hard to make it both ways on either route without a 4wd tow rig. Going to Tellico, uphill for 15 tough miles on the Skyway out of Robbinsville then 11 miles downhill on a gravel F.S. road or a relatively flat run through Murphy and 10 miles of gravel road with 1 nasty switchback. Coming out of Tellico the 11 mile F.S. road uphill can present problems without 4wd, I have been with people that drove the trail rig to the top and then loaded up or coming out on Trail 1 it's a long, boring ride and the switchback is much worse in that direction. I can supply detailed directions either way if you're interested.
 
I've been sort of leading the way for my club to stay at State Line because Crawfords is *so* far away. It's 1 hour plus to trail 4 and it can be 4 hours from the top of slick rock. Because this was my idea I feel like I should come up with the best way in.

Personally, my trailer is short and my tow rig is a 4x4 taco locked front and rear. (Way better than Rich's :) ) I should be ok but I'm more concerned about the rest of the group. Everyone else has a full sized 4x4/16' trailer except two guys. One has a 2wd dually and a 22' enclosed trailer and the other has an RV with a 16' trailer.

Questions:
1) So most guys should take trail 1 in and Robbinsville/Skyway on the way out? Right?
2) What should the big guys do?
 
Do not take the 2wd dually w/ the enclosed trailer on trail #1....I was running a 4wd lifted crew Super Duty w/ an equipment trailer (empty) & it came off the ground on the first switchback swing from dragging.

The RV would be screwed....

All this is my opinion....going back out trail #1 w/o the trailer, we almost had to use 4wd to get up the switchbacks.

Good luck!
 
2wd Dually would not be a good idea either way. I'd probably lean toward the Skyway if I HAD to make a call, especially going out, the switchback on Trail 1 will be tough. I'm thinking Crawford's with that group :) OR take the real long way around to Tellico Plains on the Skyway and back on the River Rd.
 
CYJKrawler said:
I'm thinking Crawford's with that group :) OR take the real long way around to Tellico Plains on the Skyway and back on the River Rd.
Click to expand...
Crawford's, ah man, don't say that. It sucks the fun out of the start and end of every day and it removes the possibility of wheeling a half day on Sunday.

As for the long way around to tellico plains, that sounds interesting. It looks so easy on this map. Can you tell me more about that?
awww.crawfordsattellico.com_img2.gif
 
DO NOT take Joe Brown Highway, Beaver Dam Rd or any combination there of! I came across that one time from Oak Ridge. Read ONE time. Some of the Atomic City Four Wheelers come across there for Dixie but it is worse than Trail 1 in places, really slow going, like some of the trails at URE, trust me. I was talking about taking the Skyway from Robbinsville all the way to Tellico Plains and then coming back on River Rd. From the turn off on the Skyway on F.S. 217/81 that takes you down to River Rd it's about 20 miles to Tellico Plains and about 20 miles back on River Rd to State Line campground. You could come in on the F.S. 217 road and then go back out Tellico Plains/Skyway/Robbinsville if you thought you couldn't make it back up the hill, roughly 30 miles further.
 
Everyone can make it in on Trail 1 OK, the switchback is downhill. Those with 4wd can also make it out that way. Those with 2wd might need some throttle, creative backing or a tug coming out. I like keeping the group together :) I have made it both ways before in 2wd but had to back up a couple of times to get a running start and use some throttle coming out.

F.S. 217 (N. River Rd on Google maps) is exactly 15 miles from the junction of 143,81,Santeelah Rd,Joyce Kilmer N.F. turnoff. If you look at the map, F.S. 81 loops around and comes back to the Skyway at F.S. 217, approx 11 miles. I have heard that this road, F.S. gravel, can be impassable, never tried as the Skyway is such a pretty drive. After 15 miles on the Skyway from the Skyway/81 junction you will come to a pull off on the right, Straton Ridge, with restrooms. Take the first right after the pull off, about .2 miles. Turn to the left in .2 miles, under the Skyway at the junction of F.S. 217 and F.S. 81, onto F.S. 217. Stay right on F.S. 217 at junction of F.S.217 and F.S. 61 after 1 mile. 9.1 miles from the Skyway/F.S. 217/F.S. 81 junction turn left over the creek on a concrete bridge onto F.S. 216, this used to be marked with a sign "-> Green Cove" but it was down last time I was there. 1 mile to a dead end into River Rd. Take a left, it's 5 miles, paved, to the State Line campground.
 
Dang, for credit I can go into even more detail :) Hope things work out OK for the group, I know you all will enjoy the wheeling!
 
Back
Top