We traveled over the Tennessee line to Reliance, TN and a three mile hike out and back to Benton Falls. We knew it was to be a hot day with the weather service promising temps over 90F. With that said, we tried to get there a little earlier in the day hoping to finish before the worst of the heat set in.
The ride up the mountain was wonderful with several pull off areas with gorgeous panoramic views. The area was pretty busy that day and parking areas filled up quickly. The Chilhowee Recreational Area offers camping and day use for a fee. It is located on the McCamy lake, which has a beachfront that was full of visitors trying to cool off on that hot day. Jay had told me about this area many times, as the boy scout troop he was part of as a teen often camped up there during the winter each year.
We started to head for the trail and towards the much anticipated waterfall. There were many signs along the trail though they have a tendency to be confusing as only a few addressed what part of the trail headed to the falls. The majority of the trail is dirt covered and some areas, washed away due to erosion, have exposed rock. This makes the trail itself interesting with winding turns and the occasional slick rock pathway. The path eventually had declining steps both small and large that lead to the top of the 65 ft falls. We stopped to take a look from the top and then descended the rest of the steps, made mostly of rock, to the bottom of the falls.
The falls were not disappointing and the cool air coming off them brought a welcomed respite from the heat. There were several people already down at the base of the falls taking pictures and enjoying the cool water. Jay and I made our way down and removed our shoes, stepping into the very cold water. We took pictures and then sat on rocks with our feet in the water and just took in the beauty around us.
Soon, several people arrived and it began to get very crowded. We dried off and put our shoes back on and moved on to allow others the same experience we had enjoyed. The hike back proved that we had still managed to start too late in the day as temps soared and it was a bit of a miserable hike back. There was plenty of shade but with no wind at all, the shade produced no relief. Thankfully, it was a shorter hike and we made it back to the cool car and some cool water in no time.
