Editing Big Butt Trail

{{Trail
|Banner Image=File:Big Butt brp trailhead.JPG
|Trail Highlight=High ridge line hike with a great name for hike discussions
|Trail Number=FS #161
|City=Asheville
|Trail Marking=White / Yellow / Red
|Trail Use=Hiking, Camping
|Trail Features=Vistas, Mountains
|Difficulty Rating=Hard
|Hike Time=4 hrs
|Trail Distance=6.032 mi
|Round Trip Distance=12.1 mi
|Trail Type=In-and-Out
|High Point=5,947 ft
|Low Point=4,261 ft
|Elevation Gain=2,198 ft
|Elevation Loss=1,014 ft
|Elevation Change Direction=North-to-South
|Parking location=35.80973, -82.34817
|Trailhead location=35.74853, -82.33358
}}
{{Trail Map}}

__TOC__

== Trail Overview ==
The biggest challenge of this trail is telling your friends and family you're hiking to Big Butt and Little Butt and keeping a straight face about it. :-)  Once you get over the the name, this is a fantastic high ridge line, off the beaten path hike in the Black Mountains.
Close views of Mt. Mitchell and Blacks Mountain chain.  Recommended in late spring (April-June) for wildflowers carpeting the trail.

== How to get there ==
<!-- Please enter detailed instruction on how to find the trail head. -->
From Johnson City, TN to <u>northern trailhead</u> at Highway NC-197 Cane River Gap:
#Take I-26 south into North Carolina.
#Take Exit 15 (Jupiter / Barnardsville).
#Take NC-197 left. 
#Follow NC-197 15 miles to trailhead. NOTE last 4 miles is gravel road but in excellent condition.
#Trailhead on Buncombe / Yancey County line.  Yancey side of NC-197 is paved while Buncombe side is not.
#Park on grass and don't block gate.

From Johnson City, TN to <u>southern trailhead</u> on Blue Ridge Parkway:
#Take I-26 south into North Carolina.
#Take Exit 18 (Weaverville).
#Follow US-19 south. 
#Turn left/east onto SR-1003 (Reems Creek Road) for just over three miles.
#Turn right/east onto Ox Creek Road.
#Turn left/east onto the Blue Ridge Parkway for 8 miles to around MM 359 (Walker Knob Overlook/Balsam Gap).

== Route Description==
[[File:Big butt trail profile.png|thumb|right]]Blazes are sporadic.  They can be white, yellow and/or red.  Not really needed as the trail is obvious.  
*Note that the Big Butt Trail will NOT take you to the summit of Big Butt Mountain itself.  You have to take a short 1,300 foot long spur trail to the top.  No views from the summit. A benchmark is located on a small rock there as well.

{| class="wikitable" border=1"
|-
!Distance (mi)
!Feature
|----

|0.0
|Trailhead at Highway NC-197 Cane River Gap
|----

|1.3
|Arrive at Wilston Ridge after a 1,200 ft moderate ascent via many switchbacks
|----

|2.0
|Flat Spring Knob
|----

|2.5
|Trail leaves ridgeline and climbs on east side of Big Butt summit.
|----

|2.8
|Just before trail connects back to ridgline is the junction for the summit spur trail. Not marked and can be hard to find. 
|----

|3.2
|Ridge is knife edge with good views both east and west.  The main overlook in this section has wonderful views of the entire Black Mountain Crest.
|----

|3.5
|Little Butt summit.  Steep drop to the gap is made easier with hundreds of stairs.
|----

|3.7
|Bottom of gap.  Steep climb to Point Misery made easier with lots of switchbacks and stairs.
|----

|4.2
|Point Misery summit. Nice spruce pine summit but no views.  Old pipe marks summit.
|----

|5.7
|Balsam Gap Overlook on Blue Ridge Parkway.  Sign for Big Butt Trail popular with tourists taking photos of it often with their own butt showing.
|----

|}

== Typical Conditions ==
<!-- Typical conditions throughout the year of what to expect on the trail. Rocky, muddy, sandy, flowers, lots of downed trees?  -->
[http://http://nchighpeaks.org/ http://nchighpeaks.org/] maintains trail and is in excellent condition from start to finish.  Outdated online trip reports give impression of poor trail.  Been cleaned up and improved in recent years and is a delight to hike.  Stairs installed on steep climbs in gap between Little Butt and Point Misery.  Summit trail junction is hard to locate as it's not marked but the trail itself is also in excellent condition.  No views from the summit of Big Butt.

==Fees, Permits, etc. ==
<!-- Please list any Fees, Permits, Regulations, etc. that may be required on this trail.-->
Dogs are allowed, but must be on leash.  

Southern trailhead inaccessible in winter as Blue Ridge Parkway closed.

== After the Hike ==
<!-- Anywhere interesting to stop by since you're in the area!! -->

== Misc. Information ==
<!-- Enter any additional information that doesn't fit an any other fields. Does this trail require any permits for overnight? parking? -->
Link to Carolina Mountain Club’s description from Blue Ridge Parkway to Big Butt and back [http://www.carolinamtnclub.org/hikedetails.asp?number=68]

Big Butt Forest Service Trail #161 [https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=48530&actid=50] description includes directions to north end trailhead.

Best trail write-up found [http://www.cnyhiking.com/BRP-BigButtTrail.htm cnyhiking.com site]

== Photos ==
{{Park trail gallery|Trail={{PAGENAME}}}}
{{Map Marker|Icon Type=Other photo spot|Marker Title=Flat Spring Knob|Marker Description= |Marker Location=35.7922,-82.3426}}
{{Map Marker|Icon Type=Parking|Marker Title=Trailhead parking at BRP|Marker Description=[[Image:Big_Butt_brp_trailhead.JPG|150px]]|Marker Location=35.748525,-82.333582}}
{{Map Marker|Icon Type=Other photo spot|Marker Title=Point Misery|Marker Description=[[Image:Big_Butt_point_misery.JPG|150px]]|Marker Location=35.768137,-82.337744}}
{{Map Marker|Icon Type=Other photo spot|Marker Title=Big Butt|Marker Description=[[Image:Big_Butt_benchmark_on_ground.JPG|150px]]|Marker Location=35.786658,-82.346491}}
{{Map Marker|Icon Type=Other photo spot|Marker Title=Little Butt|Marker Description=[[Image:Big_Butt_stairs_down_little_butt.JPG|150px]]|Marker Location=35.775325,-82.343559}}
{{Map Marker|Icon Type=Parking|Marker Title=Trailhead parking at NC-197|Marker Description=[[Image:Big_Butt_Cane_Break_Trailhead.JPG|150px]]|Marker Location=35.8101,-82.348}}
{{Map Marker|Icon Type=Photo spot|Marker Title=Views of the entire Black Mountain Crest|Marker Description=[[Image:Big_Butt_cloudy_views.JPG|150px]]|Marker Location=35.7789,-82.343}}
{{Map Marker|Icon Type=Trail sign|Marker Title=Unmarked Trail to Big Butt Summit|Marker Description= |Marker Location=35.78424656845678,-82.3449891332583}}