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{{Trail
<!-- The following few lines create the "Infobox" table template.  Please scroll down to edit the main content of the article.
|Banner Image=File:Big Butt brp trailhead.JPG
-->{{Infobox Trail
|Trail Highlight=High ridge line hike with a great name for hike discussions
                    | Image Name = placeholder.jpg
|Trail Number=FS #161
                    | City = Asheville
|City=Asheville
                    | State = North Carolina
|Trail Marking=White / Yellow / Red
                    | Marking = White
|Trail Use=Hiking, Camping
                    | Trail Use = {{Hike}} {{Dogs}} {{Camping}}
|Trail Features=Vistas, Mountains
                    | Difficulty Rating = Hard
|Difficulty Rating=Hard
                    | Trail Type = Segment
|Hike Time=4 hrs
                    | Hike Time = 4 Hours
|Trail Distance=6.032 mi
                    | Trail Distance = 6 Mi
|Round Trip Distance=12.1 mi
                    | Round Trip Distance = 6 Mi
|Trail Type=In-and-Out
                    | Elevation Gain = 2,300 Ft
|High Point=5,947 ft
                    | Elevation Loss = -2,300 Ft
|Low Point=4,261 ft
                    | High Point = 5,920 Ft
|Elevation Gain=2,198 ft
                    | Parking coords = 35.748525, -82.333582
|Elevation Loss=1,014 ft
                    | Medical = Asheville, NC
|Elevation Change Direction=North-to-South
}}<!--
|Parking location=35.80973, -82.34817
|Trailhead location=35.74853, -82.33358
}}
{{Trail Map}}


__TOC__
End Infobox template table


-->{{Trail page needs
| Hide needs =
| KML = Yes
| Updated KML =
| Detail route description = Yes
| Photos = Yes
| Winter photos =
| Remove prefix =
| Update infobox = Yes
| Infobox data update = Yes
| Trail pins = Yes
| Other =
| Comment =
| Date reviewed = 10/24/2015
}}<!--
Start of Main Page -->
== Trail Overview ==
== 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.
<!-- Enter overview of the trail. What attracts you to this trail, points of interest, types of flowers, lakes, and peaks that you see along the way. -->
Close views of Mt. Mitchell and Blacks Mountain chain.  Recommended in late spring (April-June) for wildflowers carpeting the trail.
Difficult ridgeline hike across three peaks to work off your____. Close views of Mt. Mitchell and Blacks Mountain chain.  Recommended in late spring (April-June) for wildflowers carpeting the trail.


== How to get there ==
== How to get there ==
<!-- Please enter detailed instruction on how to find the trail head. -->
<!-- Please enter detailed instruction on how to find the trail head. -->
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).
From Johnson City, TN to <u>northern trailhead</u> at Highway NC-197 Cane River Gap:
From Johnson City, TN to <u>northern trailhead</u> at Highway NC-197 Cane River Gap:
#Take I-26 south into North Carolina.
#Take I-26 south into North Carolina.
Line 37: Line 58:
#Trailhead on Buncombe / Yancey County line.  Yancey side of NC-197 is paved while Buncombe side is not.
#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.
#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==
== 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.   
<!-- Detailed description of the route. Is there any side trails that are worth traveling? -->
*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.
The white-blazed Big Butt Trail follows the below general route.  Note that the [[Mountains-to-Sea Trail]] also shares the Walker Knob Overlook (formerly called Balsam Gap) trailhead, but has white circle blazes.


{| class="wikitable" border=1"
{| class="wikitable" border=1"
|-
|-
!Distance (mi)
!Distance (mi)
!Elevation (ft)
!Feature
!Feature
|----
|----
|0.0
|0.0
|Trailhead at Highway NC-197 Cane River Gap
|5320
|----
|Trailhead at Walker Knob Overlook/Balsam Gap
 
|1.3
|Arrive at Wilston Ridge after a 1,200 ft moderate ascent via many switchbacks
|----
|----
 
|0.4
|2.0
|
|Flat Spring Knob
|Brush Fence Ridge
|----
|----
 
|1.6
|2.5
|5715
|Trail leaves ridgeline and climbs on east side of Big Butt summit.
|Point Misery
|----
 
|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.
|----
|----
 
|2.3
|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.
|Little Butt
|----
|----
 
|3
|3.5
|5920
|Little Butt summit.  Steep drop to the gap is made easier with hundreds of stairs.
|Big Butt, also known as Yeates Knob
|----
|----
|6
|
|Highway NC-197 Cane River Gap
|}


|3.7
The hike north for first couple of miles from the parking lot is moderately easy ridgeline trail. The climbs are for two Butt peaks.  Returning from here will encounter a steeper climb at Point Misery.  Otherwise, the trail drops down to NC-197 on a rarely used path – thus has been called a bushwack.
|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 ==
<!-- Typical conditions throughout the year of what to expect on the trail. Rocky, muddy, sandy, flowers, lots of downed trees?  -->
<!-- Typical conditions throughout the year of what to expect on the trail. Rocky, muddy, sandy, flowers, lots of downed trees?  -->
[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.
Not a heavily used trail.  Two challenges are some steep climbs and brushy growth invading the trail – especially between Little and Big Butt peaks.  CMC called it a bushwack in a trip report.


==Fees, Permits, etc. ==
==Fees, Permits, etc. ==
Line 106: Line 104:
Dogs are allowed, but must be on leash.   
Dogs are allowed, but must be on leash.   


Southern trailhead inaccessible in winter as Blue Ridge Parkway closed.
Trailhead inaccessible in winter as Blue Ridge Parkway closed.


== After the Hike ==
== After the Hike ==
Line 115: Line 113:
Link to Carolina Mountain Club’s description from Blue Ridge Parkway to Big Butt and back [http://www.carolinamtnclub.org/hikedetails.asp?number=68]
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.
Big Butt Forest Service Trail #161 [http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTJw8jAwjQL8h2VAQAzHJMsQ!!/?ss=110811&ttype=recarea&recid=48530&actid=50&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&navid=110190000000000&pnavid=110000000000000&cid=null&pname=Appalachian+Ranger+District+-+Big+Butt+Trail+%23+161] description includes directions to north end trailhead.


Best trail write-up found [http://www.cnyhiking.com/BRP-BigButtTrail.htm cnyhiking.com site]
Best trail write-up found [http://www.cnyhiking.com/BRP-BigButtTrail.htm cnyhiking.com site]
== Maps ==
<!-- You can place pictures, PDF's, links, or even create a Google map with your waypoints and place it here. -->
<display_map type="terrain" height="450" width="auto" gkml="http://tehcc.org/clubwiki/images/Big_Butt_Trail.kml,
http://tehcc.org/clubwiki/images/Big_Butt_Summit_Trail.kml">
35.748525,-82.333582~Trailhead parking at BRP~ ~MarkerA.png
35.768137,-82.337744~Point Misery~ ~MarkerG.png
35.786658,-82.346491~Big Butt~ ~MarkerG.png
35.775325,-82.343559~Little Butt~ ~MarkerG.png
35.8101,-82.348~Trailhead parking at NC-197~ ~MarkerA.png
35.7789,-82.343~Views of the entire Black Mountain Crest~ ~MarkerB.png
35.78424656845678,-82.3449891332583~Unmarked Trail to Big Butt Summit~ ~MarkerT.png
</display_map>


== Photos ==
== Photos ==
{{Park trail gallery|Trail={{PAGENAME}}}}
<gallery>
{{Map Marker|Icon Type=Other photo spot|Marker Title=Flat Spring Knob|Marker Description= |Marker Location=35.7922,-82.3426}}
<!-- Place any pictures from this trail below. Add a picture by typing Image:imagename.extension  -->
{{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}}
Image:placeholder.jpg
{{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}}
<!-- Do not remove the end gallery code.-->
{{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}}
</gallery>
{{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}}
<!-- Finally add the trail to any Categories it should belong to. Please keep the State category. To make a new category just type [[Category:mycategory]]. Keep in mind categories are case sensitive. -->
{{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}}
[[Category: North Carolina]] [[Category:Hard]] [[Category:Camping]]
{{Map Marker|Icon Type=Trail sign|Marker Title=Unmarked Trail to Big Butt Summit|Marker Description= |Marker Location=35.78424656845678,-82.3449891332583}}
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