The Cherokee National Forest offers perfect “get away from it all” venues for families and individuals who love the great outdoors. With 189 miles of trails twisting and turning throughout the forest crisscrossing the Tellico River, visitors can hike, bike, fish, camp and more in this natural national treasure. Tucked into the forest approximately 14 miles from Tellico Plains and about a mile off the Cherohala Skyway, Indian Boundary Campground and Lake is the perfect place to spend a relaxing weekend.

Indian Boundary Lake was named for a place marked on old maps called “the Indian Boundary” designating the area where white pioneer settlers had pushed the original Cherokee residents. The settlers and Indians used the area along the boundary to get together to trade goods with one another. 

It has been noted that the Cherokee were well established in the area surrounding Tellico Plains by at least 1700. The area called “the Western Frontier” located in East Tennessee was opened to white settlers in 1756. Twenty years later, the settlers overtook the area and pushed the Cherokee tribes out of the way as they built homes and businesses. The Cherokee were completely overcome by 1794 and eventually removed to Oklahoma by the 1850’s.

 Indian Boundary Lake is just one of the many place names that serves as a reminder of the early inhabitants of the region. On your way to the lake, you will find the first five miles of the Skyway follows the rippling white water of the Tellico River. Trout-fishing, kayaking, and other water sports draw tourists from all over the United States to this stretch. The next nine miles toward the lake winds its way through mixed the hardwood forest of pine and poplar. The lake is easy to find. Just follow the signs.

 The 96-acre man-made Indian Boundary Lake has three camping loops with 96 campsites and one overflow camping site that can accommodate from 50 to 75. No motorized boats are allowed on the lake, but anglers can fish from the bank or in non-motorized boats. Electric trolling motors are permissible. The forestry service stocks the lake every few years with large mouth bass, catfish, and bluegill.

 The water is drawn down during the winter months, but as the weather warms in spring, the level is brought back up.

 The wooded campground has a swimming beach, bathhouse facility, and picnic tables. There is a hiking and biking trail surrounding the lake that is a little less than 3.5 miles. This trail is graveled, essentially level, and offers an easy ride or walk. Peaks and ridgelines ring the lake offering visitors a breathtaking backdrop. In the fall, this area explodes with color as the plentiful sugar maples turn gold and red in contrast to the dark greens of the black balsam and pines.

 There is much to see and do along the Cherohala Skyway in the Cherokee National Forest. From the natural beauty of the area to the unique shopping and dining opportunities in the surrounding towns, this area in East Tennessee is perfect for daytrips or weeklong vacations. Visitors are only limited by their time and imagination.