Unicoi Turnpike

The trail began in Tennessee at Tellico Blockhouse on the Federal Road near Nine Mile Creek in present-day Vonore. From Sautee-Nacoochee, the path continued east to Toccoa as the Chattahoochee River turned south. The route then connected with the Savannah River, just below the entrance of Toccoa Creek. From there, the river could be navigated to ports in Savannah and Charleston. == History ==

The path has existed for more than 1,000 years. Even before Native Americans used the trail, large mammals migrated along the route for the winter. In 1813, after requests from Tennessee and Georgia, the Cherokee struck a treaty with the U.S. government to allow construction of a toll road along the path. According to the treaty, the tribe would be paid $160 per year for twenty years. After that time the agreement would be re-negotiated or the route would revert to the Cherokee's ownership. The annual amounts were reportedly never paid. The only surviving inn, Traveler's Rest in Toccoa, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Drovers herded turkeys, hogs, and livestock on the toll road. The toll ranged from twelve and a half cents for a man and his horse to $1.25 for a four-wheel “carriage of pleasure." A 2.5 mile (4.0km) section of the original trail opened for hiking in June 2005. It is located in the Cherokee National Forest in Coker Creek. ==References==