Tellico in late July/early August?

[HummerNewbie]

Based on this quote I just found it sounds like staying on the TN side would be better.

Full service motels (including telephones in each room) seemed to be available no closer than Madisonville on the Tennessee side and in Murphy in the North Carolina side. The road along the Tellico river on the Tennessee side is hard surfaced all the way to the entrance to the ORV area at the North Carolina border. So even though Murphy is closer, the drive from Tennessee may be faster. For those that can do without some of the services normally taken for granted in modern motels, the Green Cove Motel offers rooms only about 5 miles from the ORV area.