The Ramp Festival is one of our favorite events, even though we’ve had to miss it for the past few years. If there’s any luck, they will have ramps to sell, and the breakfast is well worth trying. There’s also usually sassafras root tea for sale. They cut the ramps into the scrambled eggs, so – no matter what you may have heard about ramps – it isn’t too strong for the uninitiated to eat. The bluegrass music is usually quite good.
From Blue Ridge, you would go through the Ocoee Gorge on Hwy 64 west from Ducktown. When you come out of the gorge and see Parksville Lake (Lake Ocoee), watch for the right turn onto Hwy 314. The Ramp Festival is on the right, just before a sweeping 90 degree turn. It’s officially listed as in Benton, but it’s a lot closer to Reliance, which is to the north on 314.
Here’s the official lowdown:
If you’ve up for a beautiful little hike after breakfast, look for Goforth Creek on the left, as you go back through the gorge. It’s just after Ocoee Number 3, the power plant that’s fed by the wooden flume.