AT – US19E to Hump Mountain

Trail Name AT – US19E to Hump Mountain Nearest City Roan Mountain State Tennessee Trail Marking AT White Rectangle Trail Use/Features Difficulty Rating Hard Hiking Time 66 Hours <br />0.375 Days <br />360 Min <br /> Distance, round-trip 10.810.8 mi <br />17.381 km <br /> Climb/Descent Elevation 2,7072,707 Feet <br />825.094 Meters <br /> / {{{Elevation Loss}}}"{{{Elevation Loss}}}" is not a number. High Point 5,5875,587 Feet <br />1,862.333 Yards <br />1,702.918 Meters <br /> Nearest Medical Elizabethton, TN 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":36.1062500000000028421709430404007434844970703125,"lon":-82.110183000000006359186954796314239501953125,"icon":""}]} Show Large Map

Trail Overview

Hike along the Appalachian Trail to the northernmost of the Roan Mountain balds – Hump Mountain. The 360 degree views are expansive as you look out in the distances to see Mt. Rogers in Virginia plus Beech and Grandfather Mountains in North Carolina. Nearer by are Grassy Ridge and Roan High Knob to the south. The “Sound of Music” theme song might just run through your head…

How to get there

From Kingsport, TN

1. Take I-26 south to Exit 24 for US-321/TN-67 toward Elizabethton.
2. Continue through Elizabethton and right at traffic light to stay on US-321 South.
3. At Hampton, stay on US19E as it veers right.
4. At Roan Mountain, continue straight on US19E for just under four more miles.
5. Small (three car) pull-off on right. More parking for six more vehicles on shoulder of Bear Branch Road on left.

(Alternatively at Steps 2-3, once just inside Elizabethton city limits, turn right on TN-362, then right again and follow Gap Creek Rd for 8 miles to US19E, thus bypassing around Elizabethton and Hampton.)

Parking here during the day should be fine, but TEHCC still does not recommend overnight parking on US19E due to repeated incidents of vandalism over the years. Arrange to be dropped off or hire a shuttle from Roan Mountain to leave your vehicle under their watchful care.

Route Description

Follow the white AT blazes southbound up and up, and then return. Pace was just over mile/hour going up and almost three mph coming back down.

Distance (mi)	Elevation (ft)	Feature
0.0	2,880	Trailhead at US19E
0.5		Campsites at Wilder Mine Hollow
2.6	4,400	Trail reaches a rock overlook with view down into Elk River valley
3.0	4,560	Reach grassy field called Doll Flats - also NC/TN boundary sign
4.6		Exit woods at fence sty to begin ascending Houston Ridge up the bald
5.5	5,587	Summit Hump Mountain. Spin around to take in the views.

Typical Conditions

Maintained Appalachian Trail. Varies from excellent dirt tread to a very rock path to a deep groove up the bald. Can have water flowing down trail if the water bars are not functioning. Trekking poles were well used on the return trip to stabilize the descent.

Fees, Permits, etc.

No permits or fees required. If camping, stay is the prearranged sites to minimize impact.

After the Hike

Recommend consuming handmade pizza at Smoky Mountain Bakers (128 Orr St or 500 Cloudland Dr, Roan Mountain, TN) which employs a wood-fired brick oven. The bakery has good muffins and rolls. On the flip side, you could start the day with breakfast. Open 8AM-8PM except Sundays and Mondays.

Maps

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Photos

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  Plaque on Houston Ridge for Stan Murray

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  Doll Flats