FUTURE PLACES TO GO WHEELIN
GEORGIA TRANS AMERICAN TRAIL (GAT)
The Georgia Traverse was created by David Giguere and is a collection of county, state and Forest Service roads that comprise a (mostly) off-pavement route across North Georgia. I designed it to be traveled east to west, beginning at Burrells Ford Road along the Georgia / South Carolina border. The Georgia Traverse visits North Carolina and Tennessee before ending at the Georgia / Alabama border. The total mileage of all paved and unpaved sections is 390 miles. I included a few alternate, off-pavement sections to explore along the Traverse. The total mileage includes the alternate sections, as shown in the map and represented in the download. However, roads not explicitly shown as part of the Traverse are not included in the mileage. Of the 390 total miles presented here, 226 miles are unpaved road surfaces consisting of gravel, dirt or both. Connecting the off-tarmac sections are 164 miles of pavement, with just over 40% of the paved miles found west of the Cohutta and Big Frog Wilderness Loop. Though I found limited opportunities for off-pavement connectivity in the western portion of the Traverse, I decided to include what I did find in an effort to offer a border to border travel experience across Georgia. LINK TO GEORGIA OVERLAND GPS FILES
You’ll enter into Tennessee from Andrews, NC. That first 80 mile section to Tellico Plains, TN is hard-packed Jeep roads through the Snowbird Mountains, Nantahala National Forest, and the Cherokee National Forest, with the last 5 miles on the Cherohala Skyway.
Then you’ll head south to Northern Georgia and the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, riding on dirt based hard-packed Jeep roads. These roads are twisting with switchbacks and turnouts.
Cross Northern Georgia on a mixture of back road pavement and gravel/ dirt roads, staying south of the congestion of Chattanooga, TN. Gas and food stops are available along the way.
Spend a few minutes in Alabama then back into Georgia and back again into Tennessee and the town of Monteagle, just a few miles off the track, with a motel and good food at Smoke House Restaurant.
The track runs a short ride south of the town of Lynchburg, TN and the home of the Jack Daniels Distillery. While they offer a free tour and tasting, the whole county is DRY with no beer or alcohol sales to the public!
The back roads of Tennessee offer a beautiful adventure ride, even passing through an off-road park with trails in the Westpoint, TN area. When riding through the Tie Camp Management Area and the Browntown Management Area, please stay on the Trail.
The last 20 miles of TN is riding side by side with the Tennessee River on gravel and through farm lands that may be busy with farm equipment and tractors. Ride carefully and with respect. Before you leave TN, stop at “The Outpost Store” for good Southern Food.
LINK TO MAPS OF TENNESEE TAT