Benton MacKaye Trail

[[Image:Map of trails of Georgia.png|right|thumb|200px|Map showing location of trails in Georgia]]The '''Benton MacKaye Trail''' or '''BMT''' is a footpath nearly {{convert|300|mi|km}} in length in the [[Appalachian Mountains]] in the southeastern [[United States]] and is blazed by a white diamond, 5" across by 7" tall. The hiking trail was created and is maintained by the [[Benton MacKaye Trail Association]] and is named for [[Benton MacKaye]], the Massachusetts forester and regional planner who first had the idea for the [[Appalachian Trail]] in 1921. The BMT runs from [[Springer Mountain]] in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] (sharing the southern terminus of the [[Appalachian Trail]]) to [[Davenport Gap]] in [[Tennessee]]. The trail passes through eight United States [[National Wilderness Preservation System|Wilderness Areas]] and Wilderness Study Areas, while traversing three states ([[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Tennessee]] and [[North Carolina]]). The lowest elevation (765 ft) on the BMT occurs at the crossing of the [[Hiwassee River]] in Tennessee. The highest elevation is the {{convert|5843|ft|m|sing=on}} summit of [[Mount Sterling (Great Smoky Mountains)|Mt. Sterling]] in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. == External links == * [http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/14685285_gzxhz#1093539255_Ed2Zu Trail photos], includes a map {{NorthCarolinaTrails}} {{coord missing|Georgia (U.S. state)}}