Mount Mitchell Trail

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Trail System	Mountains-to-Sea Trail, SB6k
Park	Mount Mitchell State Park
Located	Burnsville, North CarolinaLocation inherited from associated park
Trail Marking	Yellow Circle
Trail UseThings allowed to do on or near the trail
FeaturesThings to see on or near the trail
Difficulty Rating	Hard
Hiking TimeTime from car and back. Includes any time hiking to access this trail.	6 hrs0.375 Days <br />360 Min <br /> round trip
Distance:	4.566 mi7.348 km <br /> trailStrict non-repeating trail length / 9.19.1 mi <br />14.645 km <br /> round tripTypical or shortest length from the car, hike the trail, and return to car
Trail Type	In-and-Out
Low / High Point	3,000 ft1,000 Yards <br />914.4 Meters <br /> / 6,641 ft2,213.667 Yards <br />2,024.177 Meters <br />
Elev. Gain/LossSee link for details of calculation. Gain/Loss is direction dependent.	3,676 ft1,120.445 Meters <br /> / (36 ft10.973 Meters <br />) – East-to-West
Trip ReportsFrom user "hiked it" submissions<br />Recent is within last 90 days	No hikes logged yet
NearbyWithin 5 mi<br />Click link to view list	2 trails / 13.6 mi of trail
Parking	35° 45' 6.66" N, 82° 13' 15.38" W Map
Trailhead	35° 45' 6.37" N, 82° 13' 18.08" W Map
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Trail Overview

While anyone can reach the top of Mt. Mitchell (the highest peak in eastern USA) by driving to the park, a real adventure awaits those who climb 3,670 ft up the eastern face of the mountain. Counts for bagging Mt. Mitchell as a South Beyond 6000 (SB6K) peak. Also in Section 9 of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

How to get there

From Johnson City, TN to the southern trailhead:

1. Take I-26 south to NC Exit 9.
2. Take US-19E east for 21 miles to Micaville.
3. Take NC-80 south for 12 miles.
4. Turn right/NW onto Toe River Road.
5. After ~3 miles, find Black Mountain Campground.

A shuttle will take an hour to set up, if you just want to hike up:

1. Head SW on Toe River Road for 5 miles.
2. Turn right/SW onto Blue Ridge Parkway and travel just over 3 miles.
3. Turn right/NW onto NC-128 for 5 miles.
4. Return to trailhead.

Route Description

Starting the Black Mountain campground, USFS Trail 190 with blue hexagon blazes starts as a series of switchback up into the virgin forest. After a couple of miles, Mountain-to-Sea Trail splits off to left as USFS Trail 190A with white circle blazes. The two trails remerge roughly after a mile. Continuing up, Commissary Ridge is reached after four miles. Near the top, Balsam Trail with white triangle blazes splits off to right towards the parking lot. Trail ends at the observation tower on Mt. Mitchell. Return by same route (or take the split onto MST leg).

While the official trail description at the park website says it is a six mile trail, our available GPS recording reported 4.566 mi one way.

Typical Conditions

Well worn hard packed trail. Not recommend for winter or after hard rain as the path can be quite slippery.

Remember to take clothing layers as it can be warm at the foot, but much cooler at the top.

Fees, Permits, etc.

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

After the Hike

At the lower trailhead, Black Mountain Campground has 43 campsites for $19/day. Open April 14, 2011 - October 31, 2011, with 2012 season to be similar mid-April to end of October. Check in/out time is 2PM. Drinking water, flush toilets, and showers available. See Forest Service website for information and reservations at Black Mountain Campground

Misc. Information

Mt. Mitchell State Park is open:
Nov-Feb 8AM to 6PM
Mar-Apr 8AM to 8PM
May-Aug 8AM to 9PM
Sep-Oct 8AM to 8PM

Photos

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