Directions: Take highway 411 from Knoxville through Maryville, roughly 30
miles from Knoxville. Wears Bend is located at the last turn of the right before you
get to the bridge over the lake going into Vonore, take the road(East Tellico
parkway)about a little over a mile to a turnoff on the left leading to a boat ramp and
back to a cemetary, just past the boat ramp is a dirt road on the left to access the
trails. To reach Ft. Loudan park continue on 411 over the bridge into Vonore, there are
signs turn to the left and follow the signs a short distance to the park entrance on the
left.
Trail Information: Wears Bend and Ft.Loudan historic state park are
located just a few miles from each other on Tellico Lake. Both contain a large
amount of open or semi-open land, along with the lake and views of the Smoky mountains in
the distance, the openess makes it different from your usual heavy woods trail run in this
part of the country, nothing challenging just mostly rolling terrain.
Miscellaneous Information: Wears Bend is the larger of the two areas and
most undeveloped, about 15+ miles of trail and old road. The area is a WMA so hunting is
allowed in season. Ft. Loudan historic state park is a small area with 4 miles of
marked and signed trail plus other pathways and ways through the fields, the most scenic
of the two areas if also the most developed, trails in excellent shape, Wears Bend can
have some muddy areas after a rain.
kevin