US Forest Service Land – A Major Murphy, North Carolina Resource

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The US Forest Service accounts for a tremendous portion of Cherokee County’s landmass. According to the Cherokee County Mapping Department, the forest service operates a whoping 93,169.87 acres of public land in our county alone.

Having so much Forest Service, which is commonly known as the Nantahala Forest, is a huge asset to Murphy. Here are only a few resources available as a direct result of the Forest Service:

Another advantage is so much Forest Service will limit growth within Cherokee County. With roughly 1/3 of the county being public land, much of it cannot be built on. This will keep much of the natural beauty Murphy has very much alive and intact. It doesn’t take long to figure out why Murphy is still to this day referred to as “God’s Country.”

John Poltrock, Murphy NC Realtor – Certified Residential Specialist – www.MyMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Call Toll-Free 1-866-687-7496 Today and demand The POLTROCK TEAM!

While in Murphy, North Carolina, It’s Fun to Visit Helen, Georgia!

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One of Murphy, North Carolina’s greatest assets is not actually something in Murphy, but everything around our hometown. You’ll commonly hear the phrase that Murphy is “about 2 hours from anywhere.”

In less than that you can find yourself in the quaint little town of Helen, Georgia. It has a distinct Bavarian flair through the architectural style of practically every store and building.

It offers my two personal favorites:

Tubing down the Chattahoochee River. There’s two main companies that operate there, and we always go with the Flea Market Tuning Co. You’ll recognize their trademark hot pink tubes floating down the crystal clear river water when you get there, and for a mere $3 per person, you can’t beat it! Be sure to bring a stick like a broom handle to help navigate – it’ll save you from having to spend several more dollars. Its quite Dub and very relaxing!

Hansel and Gretel’s Chocolatier. Need I say more? Hansel and Gretel’s is a great candy shop with chocolate covered everything – strawberries, pretzels, cherries, cows, chickens and yaks. Well, just kidding about the last few, but you get the idea! They are simply put, excellent!

Those are my favorites. There’s also German cuisine, shopping at local stores, several other restaurants, horse drawn carriage rides, inns, and many other places.

Helen is a perfect excursion for the day or weekend. It’s also convenient that its an easy drive there and back so you don’t have to stay in a hotel or anything unless you want to. Typically, when the day is over with, you can jump in your vehicle and head back home to Murphy, North Carolina!

You can even visit Helen GA’s official website to learn more about the little town and another site about Helen as well.

John Poltrock, Murphy NC’s Certified Residential Specialist – www.MyMurphy.com – RE/MAX Mountain Properties – The POLTROCK TEAM – Call Toll Free (866) 687-7496 and demand The POLTROCK TEAM!! JohnPoltrock@gmail.com

Geocaching – A great excuse to explore Murphy, North Carolina

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Geocaching is essentially a high-tech game of hide and seek. All you need is a GPS, access to a computer, hiking boots, and, well, you! Murphy, North Carolina presents a perfect place for geocaching with all of Cherokee County being approximately a third US Forest Service.

As of today, there are 1,087 active caches in the Murphy area. Search and view today’s current Geocaches. These caches represent a huge opportunity to get out in the woods, explore new places you never new existed, and find crazy places like an old mining cart Katie and I found one day! 

Geocaching is litterally fun for anyone old enough to walk and the entire family can participate. Want to learn more? You can visit their main website at www.geocaching.com and check out a guide of how geocaching works.

So get out there and enjoy "God’s Country" like he intended!

John Poltrock, Certified Residential Specialist – RE/MAX Mountain Properties – www.MyMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Call Toll Free (866) 687-7496 and demand The POLTROCK TEAM!

Tellico Offers 4 Wheel Drive Fun for Cherokee County NC!

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Tellico Plains offers those who like to be off road and four-wheel driving the place to do it! It is maintained by the US Forest Service, and for a mere $5, you can ride all day long. A $30 annual permit is also available. Jeeps, Bronco’s, ATV’s, Quads, Dirt Bikes, all those types of off road machines are welcome! If you ride an ATV or dirt bike, just be sure to bring a helmet because the USFS requires you wear one on their trails.

From Murphy, Tellico is located to the North on Davis Creek Road. From there, there’s all sorts of cabin rentals, Jeep repair centers, and other small businesses oriented toward making your off-road stay a better experience. If it’s important to you, be sure to ask if your cabin has electricity because some out there don’t.

One of the most exciting events hosted in Tellico is the Jeep Jamboree.

Tellico is an extraordinarily fun place to spend the day if you love the outdoors and gas-powered toys. While you’re out riding, be sure to be safe. Davis Creek Road and many of the trails in Tellico drop of steeply on the mountain with no gaurd rails. Be sure to slow down and take a steady pace because the mountains are unforgiving.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVQIGtxOal0]

For a map or more information, contact:
Tusquitee Ranger District, 123 Woodland Drive, Murphy, NC 28906
Phone: (828) 837-5152,   Fax: (828) 837-8510

Directions to Tellico Plains from Murphy, NC– From the McDonalds in Murphy on Highway 64, turn North (left) onto Hiwassee Street and go to the first traffic light. Turn left at onto Tennessee Street and leave town. The road becomes Joe Brown Highway (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 US 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.

Love Tellico and looking to buy your own peice of real estate there? Email me
and I will email you back a list of all the homes and land available there. There are many great investments (you can rent to other Jeepers) and personal use properties available there.

Own property and want to sell? Get started by clicking here.

John Poltrock, CRS and Jessica Poltrock, ABR – The POLTROCK TEAM at RE/MAX Mountain Properties in Murphy, NC – www.MyMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Real Estate in the Mountains of Murphy, NC and Cherokee County – Call Toll Free (877) 837-3002 and demand The POLTROCK TEAM!

Lake Hiwassee Information – Located in Cherokee County by Murphy NC

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The Hiwassee Dam began construction on July 15, 1936. being 1376 feet long, it is quite an impressive structure. You can actually drive over the dam itself on Hiwassee Dam Access Road (off of Highway 294). Now over 70 years later, the Hiwassee Lake has become the gorgeous lake that we all now know. This article has some great “technical” information about the lake that is sometimes hard to find all in one place.

Impounded in 1940, Hiwassee was originally known as “Fowler Bend.” The name was later changed to reflect the name of the river which it is located on.

According to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), it is 6,090 acres and located close to the center of Cherokee County, North Carolina (according to the Cherokee County Mapping Department, the actual lake 5,635.28 acres. With less than a 500 acre variation, that could be attributed to shoreline variations, etc.). From end to end, it is roughly 22 miles long and has over 163 miles of shoreline. There are many sections that are more than 200 feet deep! It’s quite a large lake with plenty of room to enjoy for boating and fishing. One of the most unique things about the lake is that only 7% of it has development! During the summer, the TVA targets to have the lake levels at 1515 to 1521 feet. On January 1, they shoot for around 1460. They try to maintain recreational levels from June 1st to August ST, with the exceptions of emergencies.

The lake is used primarily for power generation and regional flood control. Because of the flood control component, this is why the water level fluctuates. The TVA aims to have peak water level from June 1st through August 1st. It’s during the off season you see the water level drop 30-40 feet for flood control purposes. What’s amazing is it has an approximate flood water capacity of 3.6 billion gallons of water. One of the interesting things about the dam itself is that it has the ability to reverse flow and pump water back into the lake.

With only 7% of the land being developed, there is very little on the lake other than nature itself. The TVA transferred most of its original holdings to the U.S. Forest Service for it to be part of the Nantahala Forest, but kept lands in the Hiwassee Dam Reservation, the Micken branch area, and some land in Murphy. The majority of development on the lake is in Bear Paw Resort.

The TVA owns rights in one form or another up to the 1532 elevation, which means before you can do anything on the shoreline (dock, etc.) you must approve it with them.

For recreation, you have lots of options! There are four main marinas on Lake Hiwassee – Shooks, Dukes, Mountain View, and Harbor Cove. They provide boat rentals, fishing supplies, snacks, fuel, and much more. Not only that, the Hanging Dog Campground area has the best boat ramp on the lake. The US Forest Service offers several other boat launches that are completely free to use. Nice!

To get more information, contact the Hiwassee Watershed Team located at 221 Old Ranger Road; Murphy, NC 28906. You can call them at 828-837-7395

Looking for Real Estate? Let The Poltrock Team help you! Feel free to contact us any time, Search ALL the listings for sale in Murphy NC, or use our Dream Home Finder and let us do the work for you!

John Poltrock – The Poltrock Team – www.MyMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Call Toll-Free (866) 687-7496 and demand The POLTROCK TEAM at REMAX Mountain Properties of Murphy North Carolina