Tessentee Bottomlands Trail (Macon County, North Carolina)

 
I'm on my way to Asheville, NC this morning to meet some friends and attend a craft beer and music festival, but along the way, I always look for interesting sites or places to stretch my legs. When reviewing the trails near my route, I stumbled across the Tessentee Bottomlands Preserve and Trails. It peaked my interest enough to take a very short detour to check it out.

When I arrived at the parking area, I easily found parking along with two other cars and quickly start my way into the woods along the obvious trail. The route is wide and well maintained as it meanders through the wooded area at the confluence of the Little Tennessee River and Tessentee Creek. 

Before long, I come upon an old farmstead that I had read about at the trailhead. Here an old house with turn of the century equipment stands as a reminder of how the people of this area lived a century or more ago. A few related structures remain behind the main house and the rusted and decayed frame of some type of farm equipment or vehicle sits in a mess of weeds across from the house. I take a few photos and then head on. This is only a short trail, but with all of weekend luggage in the car, I don't wait to be away too long.

From there the trail splits into several different loops. I opt for one that I think will take me towards the river, but instead just makes it's way around a high point in these bottomlands. Still though, the area is very pretty and it's nice to stretch my legs a bit. Eventually, I do find a connecting trail and way down to the river. It leads right to the confluence of the two streams. The water is fairly muddy, but it's obvious that this little river is somewhat deep at least here at the confluence. Several pieces of driftwood have gotten hung up here and it all makes for a fairly scenic spot.

Returning to the trail, I encounter a couple that have found a beautiful little view looking down on the creek through some of the autumn foliage. They very considerately off to move and allow me to take a couple of shots. Serene is the best word I can think of to describe the feeling of this place. 

Just a bit further and the trail begins to cut back towards the parking area, but has changed to single track now and undulates through the woods. There are a number of roots lining the surface and in one spot, small logs have been hammered into the ground near a tree overrun with grapevines to form a set of steps up a particularly steep section.

Arriving back at my car, I see that I've only hiked about 1.4 miles, but it was enough to get some fresh air before I return to the highway. This is a gorgeous little area with enough interesting landmarks to make it a worthwhile stop for anyone in a similar situation to myself on this day. For now though, it's time to hit the road and make my way to the next couple of small stops.