Tellico Plains rests on the edge of the Cherokee National Forest in southeastern Tennessee. Great Tellico was once home for the Cherokee, finally pushed out in 1850. During the late 1800s, Babcock Lumber Company overworked the Appalachian Hills, leaving the land in the poorest condition. The Weeks Act of 1911 enabled the Federal Government to purchase this worn-out land, leaving the USDA Forest Service the task of restoration.
The Cherohala Skyway, Route 165, weaves its way through the rejuvenated timberland and up into mile high peaks of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. One stop, out of Tellico Plains, just a few miles south of the Cherohala Skyway on Route 68 is the beautiful Conasauga Falls. A moderate hike leads to this cascading falls that drops 30 feet along the Tellico River Basin.