If you're looking for a good family camping area combined with great mountain scenery and some good trout fishing, try camping in the Cherokee National Forest near Tellico Plains Tennessee.
This area is part of the Tellico Wildlife Managment Area. The Tellico River is stocked regularly by TWRA and there are good primitive camping facilities all around.
Teresa and I spent three nights up there last summer and we had a ball. It's not bad on weekends, and if you go during the week you'll have the place to yourself.
Fly fishing is good, but if you want to catch some good fish, bring a light weight spinning rod and some canned kernel corn. Add garlic salt to the corn the night before and you're all set. I use a small hook and very light split-shot. Toss it in at the head of a ripple and hang on.
Take the Sweetwater exit off of I75 just south of Knoxville and follow the signs to Madisonville and Tellico Plains. Just follow the river up into the Tellico Wildlife Management Area.
You will need a special tellico permit and a trout stamp, both available in the area.
Posted Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:57 pm