It is one of only a few areas in the USFS National Forest in North Carolina where off-road vehicles may be used. The trails are open to all uses - trail bikes, all-terrain vehicles, and four-wheel drive vehicles-except one trail that's open to ATV use only. 

Offering 40 miles of trails, Upper Tellico’s 8,000 acres are known for great fourwheeling. The Tellico River crosses this high elevation basin’s rugged, steep terrain. Most trails are open to all types of off-highway vehicles; one trail is restricted to all-terrain vehicles only. Many trails are rough and challenging, requiring front and rear tow hooks, special tires, and other features on 4-wheel drive vehicles. Only the access road is rated as “easy.” Upper Tellico is on the Tennessee State line about 13 miles north of Murphy. Eleven trails make up the Upper Tellico Off-Road Vehicle Area.

The Upper Tellico Off-Road road / trail system provides interconnected loops with no dead-end routes. The easiest routes have gentle grades (15 percent maximum pitch), sweeping turns, and a fairly smooth tread with no obstacles. More difficult routes have moderate grades (80 percent maximum pitch), more and tighter curves, climbing turns, sections of rough tread, and some rock or log obstacles. A most difficult route requires a high degree of skill and challenge to travel. It has moderate to steep grades (50 percent maximum pitch), numerous turns, tight curves, switchbacks, and a rough surface throughout, with frequent obstacles and sections of very rough tread.

The Upper Tellico Off Road Vehicle area consists of approximately 8000 acres located roughly (literally!) 12 miles northwest of Murphy NC....at the very western-most tip of the state where it borders Tennessee and Georgia, and lies deep within the lush Nantahala National Forest. It is a high-elevation basin formed by the surrounding Unicoi Mountains, with elevations ranging from 2500' up to 4980'. Having been heavily but selectively logged from about 1950 until 1969, most of the well worn trails are the remnants of logging and skidder trails. After the logging operations ceased the area became increasingly known for it's rugged off-road vehicle challenges.

The U.S. Forest Service obtained the land in 1980, and recognized the fact that off-roaders, lacking a specific place to go, are likely to find or make other trails at random. Thus, a planned ORV area was developed, complete with marked and graded trails and a very well done trail map. Several of the older redundant trails are closed off for reforestation and preservation, but none of the trails are dead end, and many loop back into one another.

The Upper Tellico ORV Area is located in the Nantahala National Forest near Murphy, North Carolina in Cherokee County. Murphy is located in the southwestern part of the state where North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia all come together, and at the junction of Hwy 19/74 and Hwy 64. The Upper Tellico ORV Area is famous for some of the best 4x4 trail riding in all of America. Names like Guardrail, Helicopter Pad, Slick Rock and School Bus all conjure up visions of rock piles, steep hills and off camber ascents to challenge offroaders of all experience levels.

Crawfords, a unique commercial campground that caters to the off-roader, has a shop with welder and is only a few miles from the entrance.

Directions from Murphy, NC to Upper Tellico ORV Area:
From the McDonalds in Murphy on Hwy 64, turn north (left) onto Hiwassee St and go to the first traffic light. Turn left at light onto Tennessee St and leave town, the road becomes Joe Brown Hwy (there is a couple of places along here to buy gas) continue for 2.8 miles until you come to a blinking caution light. Turn right at caution light and continue for approx. 5.5 miles and turn right onto Davis Creek Road. Pavement will end soon and the Forest Service entrance station will be on your left. Trail #1 starts here and continues through the ORV area and turns into River Road at the NC/TN state line.