| 26th Appalachian - Oct 8-10 - Murphy NC | CANCELLED DUE TO TRAIL CLOSURE |
The Upper Tellico ORV road system was scheduled to re-open April 1 after a winter closure. However, the U.S. Forest Service announced that a temporary closure of the trail system would remain in effect while the agency continues to evaluate the long-term future of the trails.
Cherokee County Recreation Director Pee Wee Davis said a representative of Jeep Jamboree called and canceled use of the Rock Gym in Murphy for the jamboree for the second weekend in October because all the trails are closed. The event had been held in Cherokee County for about 25 continuous years.
Jeep® Jamborees are off-road adventure weekends that bring together the outdoors, down-to-earth people, and their Jeep 4x4s.
The Jeep Jamboree brought in “mega bucks” for the local economy, Davis said. Visitors spent money in restaurants, motels, gas stations and stores.
“Every year it has been sold out,” he said. “They would average 125 jeeps and 300-500 people.”
This would have been the first year of an ultimate adventure for Jeep Jamboree, which would have included canoeing and other events as well as riding the trails.
The Upper Tellico ORV roads have been used by many other groups, including Chrysler Corp., which used it as a proving ground, Humvee and Toyota. Something was going on almost every week on the trails.
A telephone recording by Tellico Cabin Rentals owner Chuck Davis states, “The damn forestry closed the trails.”
One question the Forest Service has been asked many times is if people can still drive through the area from North Carolina to Tennessee. She said through traffic is still allowed on Trail 1, but the remaining trails are closed.
