Ranger Field (via Three Forks)

The Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) is a footpath of nearly 300 miles that traverses the Appalachian mountains of the southeastern United States. It is named in honor of Benton MacKaye whose was a forester, planner and conservationist whose vision resulted in the creation of the Appalachian Trail in the early 1900’s. The BMT is designed for foot travel in the tradition of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) and runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Davenport Gap on the northern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Benton MacKaye Trail passes through some of the most remote backcountry in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, including eight federally designated Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas.

The hike from Three Forks to the Ranger field (3250 feet) is 2.1 miles but it involves three major long distance routes in Georgia: The Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT), The Duncan Ridge Trail (DRT) and The Appalachian Trail (AT). Three Forks, the starting point, marks the southern terminus of the thirty six mile Duncan Ridge Trail (DRT) which meets with the AT again at Slaughter Gap, it’s northern terminus. Three Forks (2517 feet) is a nice flat area accessible by USFS 58 where Stove, Chester, and Long Creek converge. The area is often crowded on weekends, but has some nice campsites along the creeks. The Benton MacKaye and Duncan Ridge Trails break from the Appalachian Trail just past the falls and head down to the Toccoa River. The A.T. continues northbound toward Hawk Mountain Shelter.  On this hike we stopped briefly at Long Creek Falls, then continued on the BMT to pitch camp near a wildlife clearing. No camping is permitted in the wildlife field, which is the case for many of them in this area.