Black Mountain Crest Trail

File:* Trail Name Black Mountain Crest Trail Nearest City Asheville State North Carolina Trail Marking Orange Triangle Trail Use/Features Difficulty Rating Hard Hiking Time 88 Hours <br />0.5 Days <br />480 Min <br /> Distance, round-trip 1212 mi <br />19.312 km <br /> Climb/Descent Elevation 2,4002,400 Feet <br />731.52 Meters <br /> / {{{Elevation Loss}}}"{{{Elevation Loss}}}" is not a number. High Point 6,6486,648 Feet <br />2,216 Yards <br />2,026.31 Meters <br /> Nearest Medical Asheville Trip Reports Click Here Loading map... {"type":"ROADMAP","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"270px","height":"180px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":8,"layers":[],"controls":["zoom"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":35.76729999999999876081346883438527584075927734375,"lon":-82.264499999999998181010596454143524169921875,"icon":""}]} Show Large Map

Trail Overview

One of the toughest trails in the Southeast. A rugged ridgeline hike that is a roller coaster of elevation changes which require lots of scrambling with hands, feet and sometimes ropes. The ridge is above 6000 feet in elevation the entire way except for the big drop at Deep Gap. Your reward is spectacular views the whole way with some of views (especially the northern part) being the best in all of North Carolina (IMHO).

No matter how experienced a hiker you are, be prepared for a slower pace than what your used to.

How to get there

Northern Trailhead (Mount Mitchell State Park)

Trailhead is at the bottom of the Mount Mitchell summit parking lot by the picnic area. (35.7667944123, -82.2649348322). It is called "Deep Gap Trail".

Nice large parking area. Note that access is during park hours only and if the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed, you can't get to it. If you leave your car here overnight, you will need to notify a park ranger.

Southern Trailhead (Bowlens Creek)

The Bowlens Creek trailhead is just south of Burnsville NC just off of Bolens Creek Road (1109). Parking at this trailhead is limited and a little bit confusing.

Turn down Watershed Road from Bolens Creek Road and to your right is a small parking area (35.8764675286, -82.2837911661) that has room for a grand total of one car. If it's taken, there is a small cemetery just past that on Bolens Creek Road that has room to park (35.8776865469, -82.2862008209). You can just walk back to Watershed Road until you reach the trailhead.

Route Description

How much of the Black Mountain Crest Trail do you want to bite off?

Two miles

The South Beyond 6000 (SB6K) challenge program is summit the 40 highest peaks in the Southern United States. Peaks which can be claimed along this route are:

• Mt. Craig (6647 feet)
• Balsam Cone (6611 feet)
• Potato Hill (6475 feet)
• Winter Star Mountain (6212 feet)
• Gibbs Mountain (6224 feet)
• Celo Knob (6327 feet)

The North Carolina Parks labels "Deep Gap Trail" for the 4.5 miles section of USFS Trail 179 over to the first permitted campground. park map

The trail is blazed with orange triangles.

Miles	Elevation	Black Mountain Crest Trail
0.0	~6640	Trailhead at Mt. Mitchell parking lot
	6647	Mt. Craig
	6581	Big Tom
	6611	Balsam Cone
4.5	5700	Deep Gap primative campground
	6212	Winter Star Mountain
7.5		Celo Knob

Access trails are Mount Mitchell Trail USFS 190 (if you want a greater challenge), USFS 178 Colbert Ridge (connecting Deep Gap with NC80), (?) USFS 177, Bowlens Creek Trail USFS 119 (Celo Knob to ?).

Typical Conditions

A difficult challenge up and down the peaks across many boulders. Take lots of water due to being more exposed to sun and wind. Recommendation is to start early - and get off the mountain with plenty of daylight left.

Fees, Permits, etc.

No fees or permits required. No bikes, ATV, or horses allowed on this trail.

Misc. Information

The Black Mountains were named due to the dark line of spruce and fir trees that cover the ridge.

Excellent description and photo gallery of BMCT are on the Central NY Hiking website.

Link to Forest Service Trail 179 page.

Maps

Loading map...

{"type":"TERRAIN","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"auto","height":"600px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":false,"layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","type","scale","streetview","rotate"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":["http://tehcc.org/clubwiki/kml/Black_Mountain_Crest_Trail.kml"],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESouthern trailhead at Mt. Mitchell SP\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Southern trailhead at Mt. Mitchell SP\n","link":"","lat":35.76729999999999876081346883438527584075927734375,"lon":-82.264499999999998181010596454143524169921875,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerA.png"},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMt. Mitchell (6684 feet)\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Mt. Mitchell (6684 feet)\n","link":"","lat":35.764982000000003381501301191747188568115234375,"lon":-82.26519600000000309591996483504772186279296875,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerG.png"},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMt. Craig (6647 feet)\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Mt. Craig (6647 feet)\n","link":"","lat":35.7775400000000018962964531965553760528564453125,"lon":-82.2619339999999965584720484912395477294921875,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerG.png"},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBalsam Cone (6611 feet)\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Balsam Cone (6611 feet)\n","link":"","lat":35.78976800000000224599716602824628353118896484375,"lon":-82.255843999999996185579220764338970184326171875,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerG.png"},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPotato Hill (6475 feet)\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Potato Hill (6475 feet)\n","link":"","lat":35.8019900000000035333869163878262042999267578125,"lon":-82.2524499999999960664354148320853710174560546875,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerG.png"},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWinter Star Mountain (6212 feet)\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Winter Star Mountain (6212 feet)\n","link":"","lat":35.81747699999999667852534912526607513427734375,"lon":-82.2492309999999946512616588734090328216552734375,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerG.png"},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGibbs Mountain (6224 feet)\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Gibbs Mountain (6224 feet)\n","link":"","lat":35.8410319999999984474925440736114978790283203125,"lon":-82.2479009999999988167473929934203624725341796875,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerG.png"},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECelo Knob (6327 feet)\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Celo Knob (6327 feet)\n","link":"","lat":35.852338000000003148670657537877559661865234375,"lon":-82.2485449999999929104887996800243854522705078125,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerG.png"},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENorthern trailhead\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"Northern trailhead\n","link":"","lat":35.87810900000000202680894290097057819366455078125,"lon":-82.284164000000004079993232153356075286865234375,"icon":"/clubwiki/images/MarkerA.png"}]}