Canal Access provides entry to the northern section of the East Lakeshore Trail, a 31-mile National Recreation Trail along Tellico Lake's east shoreline.

The trailhead features a kiosk and large unpaved parking lot accessed via an unsigned gravel road south of the US 321 bridge over the canal connecting Tellico Lake to Fort Loudoun Lake. The 1.

5-mile Canal Branch offers easy hiking through pine woods and along lake coves, making it ideal for paddlers and hikers seeking access to the scenic trail system.