Order of Visit: High Point #5
Date Visited: November 7, 2018
Route Taken: Drive & Deer Gap Trail via Balsam Cone – 6 miles roundtrip
Type of Terrain: Paved path & well-maintained trail
Elevation: 6,684 feet
Ancestral Lands: Cherokee, Yuchi
What’s in a Name?
Originally known by the Cherokee as Attakulla, Mt. Mitchell was renamed in honor of naturalist, explorer, professor, and Presbyterian minister Dr. Elisha Mitchell who lost his life attempting to confirm the mountain’s measurements.
After graduating from Yale in 1813, Mitchell was appointed as a professor of mathematics and science at UNC, and spent he free time exploring the state.
In 1828, Mitchell conducted a survey of North Carolina’s Black Mountain Range in Blue Ridge Mountains and spotted a peak taller than Grandfather Mountain (then believed to be the tallest mountain in the state). He first measured the mountain, known as Black Dome, in 1835, and returned for two subsequent surveys in 1838 and 1844.
Mitchell’s work not only proved that the Black Dome was the tallest mountain in the state, but that it was nearly 400 feet higher than New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington (6,288′), thereby making it the highest point east of the Mississippi River.
Thomas Clingman, a former student of Mitchell’s (and the namesake of Tennessee’s Clingmans Dome) challenged Mitchell’s measurements in a protracted public debate known as the Clingman-Mitchell controversy. So in 1857, at the age of 64, Mitchell returned to vindicate his claim, but lost his footing and fell to his death near Mitchell Falls.
Mitchell was initially buried in nearby Asheville, NC. But the following year, a grave was constructed atop the mountain, and he was reinterred there. The US Geologic Survey confirmed Mitchell’s measurements in 1881-2, and the peak was officially renamed in his honor.
Trip Summary
This was the second state high points where we opted to drive straight to the summit instead of arriving on foot.
We initially considered hiking up the summit via the Old Mitchell Trail, but decided to enjoy an alternate hike from the summit instead. The Deer Gap Trail, which begins at the picnic are adjacent to Mt. Mitchell’s summit, is a more strenuous hike and it also allows you to visit the second highest point on east coast – Mt. Craig.
Arriving at Mt. Mitchell State Park in the mid-afternoon, we made our visit the summit’s viewing platform first and this stopped for a quick visit of Dr. Elisha Mitchell’s tomb.
After taking in the spectacular views of the neighboring mountains and Pisgah National Forest, we headed over to the Deer Gap Trail to hike to the summit Mt. Craig and beyond.
The trail was challenging and steep in sections, requiring us to use the pre-placed ropes to get up and down some of the steeper sections. Equally interesting is the variety of trees along the trail, including red spruce, fire cherry, yellow birch, mountain ash, and maples.
The trail passes directly over the summits of Mt. Craig, Big Tom, and Balsalm Cone, but you have to keep your eyes peeled for the various markers indicating where they are. Each one is discreetly placed in nearby rocks – there aren’t obvious signs announcing them to visitors.
Because we got a late start that afternoon, we didn’t want to venture out too far. The November days were getting shorter and brisk, and none of us wanted to be hiking to the car after dark. So, we turned around after summiting Balsalm Cone (three miles into our hike) and made our way back toward the parking lot.
The views on the way back to Mt. Mitchell were just as phenomenal as on the way out. One of the best fall photos we took this year was from the top of Big Tom. The brilliant fall colors that hikers venture to Asheville to see were definitely on display, making our late afternoon hike completely worth the effort.
Details
When to Visit: Year-round.
Getting There: Mt. Mitchell is located 33 miles northwest of Ashville, NC off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Entrance Fees/Permits: None.
Parking: Parking in Mt. Mitchell State Park is free, and there is a large lot near the summit and picnic area, as well as two lots further down the mountain near the park headquarters and the park restaurant where you can hike to the summit on the Old Mitchell Trail.
Accessibility: Easy.
Bonus: Mt. Mitchell is not only NC’s high point, it’s also the highest natural point in the Eastern U.S. Additionally, Mt. Mitchell State Park was the first state park established in the state of North Carolina.
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