Remembering Tellico

Tom@Hilltop_Machine

Tom@Hilltop_Machine

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2005
Location
Rural Retreat, VA
I wanted to make a picture and short story thread of one of the best wheeling places on the east coast for everyone to enjoy. If you were unfortunate to not get to wheel Tellico before it got shut down you can see what it was like. I have a bunch of photos and will post some every week. If you have photos please post them too.
Parking lot and pay station.
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Guardrail
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Helicopter pad
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Coming down the back side of 11
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Going up school bus.
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No trip would be complete without a parking lot repair at the Best Western.
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So many good trails gone now!! I never thought tellico and callalantee would be gone but here we are! I never even got to drive a rig at tellico only rode shotgun once which sucks!!
 
I've got some printed 35mm pictures of the one time I actually went wheeling there. I'll dig em up.
tknopp said:
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Guardrail
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Helicopter pad
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Coming down the back side of 11
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Going up school bus.
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No trip would be complete without a parking lot repair at the Best Western.
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Did you actually wheel tellico or just stand around and take pictures of yourselves standing on the obstacles? :flipoff2:
 
So many good trails gone now!! I never thought tellico and callalantee would be gone I wanted to ride calla with my family now like I did as a kid!!
 
My first trip was a disaster.Didnt know anything about the lay out of the place and didn't know anybody to ask.Long story short we went for the Dixie run and couldn't find a camping spot on the NC side,but TN had all kinds,so we got a camping spot on the TN side.Got there late on Fri afternoon and by the time we checked in and figured out where we should be it was dark.Covered all of trial 1,by ourself,in the dark.It took forever.

Morning came and we headed out at like 5:30 to make sure we would be there by 8 when the group was leaving.Some guy had endoed bad on upper two before we got there so the guide insisted everybody get winched off the ledge.Ate lunch in the creek and back at camp (nc side) at like 2 ish.Didnt know anybody,or where things were at,had a sb truck on locked tons and boggers and a CARB"D motor.:shaking:

Drove the truck there and back,got about 45 mins from home and broke a trailready wheel.I had a spare but it was incorrect for that side of the truck.So I basically ran the rest of the way home on a backward mounted bogger.It was a DISASTER.

I was over there w some NC guys the last Dec is was open,like the 28th or something.They closed the park the 1st for the "seasonal closure" and it never opened back up.I think @McCracken was suppose to make that trip but didn't.
 
jeepinmatt said:
I've got some printed 35mm pictures of the one time I actually went wheeling there. I'll dig em up.
Did you actually wheel tellico or just stand around and take pictures of yourselves standing on the obstacles? :flipoff2:
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Sweet post em up. That was my first trip to Tellico in the summer of 1999. Guardrail and helicopter pad were way scarier in person than it looked in 4wheeler magazine. To make matters worse I drove my jeep there from Charlotte and back. After that it came on a trailer. :)
 
1-tonmudder said:
My first trip was a disaster.Didnt know anything about the lay out of the place and didn't know anybody to ask.Long story short we went for the Dixie run and couldn't find a camping spot on the NC side,but TN had all kinds,so we got a camping spot on the TN side.Got there late on Fri afternoon and by the time we checked in and figured out where we should be it was dark.Covered all of trial 1,by ourself,in the dark.It took forever.

Morning came and we headed out at like 5:30 to make sure we would be there by 8 when the group was leaving.Some guy had endoed bad on upper two before we got there so the guide insisted everybody get winched off the ledge.Ate lunch in the creek and back at camp (nc side) at like 2 ish.Didnt know anybody,or where things were at,had a sb truck on locked tons and boggers and a CARB"D motor.:shaking:

Drove the truck there and back,got about 45 mins from home and broke a trailready wheel.I had a spare but it was incorrect for that side of the truck.So I basically ran the rest of the way home on a backward mounted bogger.It was a DISASTER.

I was over there w some NC guys the last Dec is was open,like the 28th or something.They closed the park the 1st for the "seasonal closure" and it never opened back up.I think @McCracken was suppose to make that trip but didn't.
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mmmm, not sure. I made it up there the last three months I thought before it closed. October, November and December. I'd have to go back in the files but I've got pictures from that trip.

Edit: yup, I went on December 13, 2008

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Ironically, it was stories and pictures of Tellico that made me want to move to North Carolina. I went wheeling a handful of times in Uwharrie (mostly because my rig kept breaking) and now that I'm married with kids I don't even own a 4WD vehicle, even though at one point I owned three when I was single.

I do miss the days when wheeling was a poor man's sport...... :)
 
Can’t find any pics at the moment but made many trips to Tellico starting in the late 80’s. Many trips riding with a cousin in 1 ton chevy’s that would beat your teeth out on a good dirt road. I first wheeled it myself in 96 after I got out of the military in Taco I had. Then around 03 once I got a TJ we would go every 4-6 weeks. That place cost me a bunch of $$$ in repairs and upgrades over the years. Good ole days!
 
I believe most of our Tellico pics were on a film camera, but maybe some of the last couple of trips with the East Coast Broncos are on the server. We were there the weekend Eric Rudolph was caught...

Our last trip there was when we got engaged... I think at Crawford's Camp.
 
trailhugger said:
I believe most of our Tellico pics were on a film camera, but maybe some of the last couple of trips with the East Coast Broncos are on the server. We were there the weekend Eric Rudolph was caught...

Our last trip there was when we got engaged... I think at Crawford's Camp.
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I too have made plenty of poor intoxicated decisions at Crawford's.

And Murphy Wal Mart.
 
Love these pics, keep them coming. I dreamed of Tellico and it was a big goal for me as I was just getting started in this hobby. I never did get to go, so I love when people talk about it and share pics and stories.
 
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I used to go every other weekend. Was part of the Ultimate Adventure one year and got to be a trail leader at the All Pro Offroad east coast event.
More importantly, I met my wife at Crawford's Campground during a weekend of wheeling.
I made so many friends at Tellico and made more memories than I could ever count.
 
I loved that place and wish it was still open

Here is a picture of Ian's first time wheeling for his show and myself and @Black Bear
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few more from that trip
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Jessi learning how to drive a stick
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@zubz
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