Mount Mitchell - Highest Mountain Peak East of the Mississippi RiverMount Mitchell is the first state park developed in North Carolina. It was taken over by the state in 1915 to prevent the logging of the fir trees. That saved the trees then, but now they are dead from acid rain and aphid bugs of modern times. You’ll see what looks like a tree graveyard up at the top with the evergreens striped down to just skeleton trunks with limp limbs sticking out. That may sound pretty unattractive, but it’s just an eerie kind of look up at the top of the mountain.
The mountain and park are named for Dr. Elisha Mitchell who taught at UNC-Chapel Hill. Mitchell explored the Black Mountain range and is the one who figured out how to calculate heights for the range. He was only 12 feet shy on his estimate of Mount Mitchell. He died when he fell down the waterfall and drowned. He is buried up next to the observation tower where you’ll see a market with some details about him.
When I was a kid, the elementary school used to take classes up to Mount Mitchell. We would spend the day going up and down the observation tower and hiking the trails. Actually we would park in the lower lot and climb up to the peak where the tower stands. That’s about 6 miles and strenuous climbing unless you are in elementary school. Our teachers must have been younger than we thought back then, because they always hiked up that steep incline with us. I can say that it is a work out now with my two boys.
The reason we visited Mount Mitchell with school classes was because it is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. It’s part of the Black Mountain range, which is a small range above the Smokey Mountains. Although the range is smaller than our other mountain ranges with only about 15 miles of mountains in the chain, this one has the highest peaks with Mount Mitchell being the highest of all at 6684 feet.
We also visited, because it was an easy day trip from near Charlotte, NC. Mount Mitchell is a half hour north of Asheville, NC in Burnsville. The only way to get to Mount Mitchell is from the Blue Ridge Parkway on NC 128. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a beautiful drive through the mountains across several eastern states, and it’s a nice drive except during heavy snow.
When you get off the Parkway at Mount Mitchell, you just follow the signs. You can park at a lower level and walk up or you can drive up to the top. At the top, you have a great view unless it’s foggy. You can see for miles and miles. Climb the observation tower for an even better view. Kids really love the tower.
If you’re hungry, the park has a snack bar. It is also the only state park with a full restaurant (May 1 to October 31 only). There are no restaurants on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so this is a nice stop if you want to eat. Of course, you can also take a picnic. They have 40 picnic tables on a first come basis. Two shelters are available with 2 tables each. There are some grills too if you want to cook out.
Camping is available, but there are only 9 spaces. These are tent spaces, and you don’t have bathrooms or hot water. You can also register and park at Mount Mitchell and then hike into the Pisgah National Forest which connects. This would be backpack camping and very back woods.
If you are visiting Asheville or driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, this is a great stop. The views are terrific. You can also learn about our forests and how modern life is impacting and destroying the evergreens. You can check about the educational programs, and school groups are always welcome just as they were back when I was a kid.
This would also be a good park to home base from if you want to do some deep woods camping. I prefer a real bathroom myself and some hot running water, but if I decided to really rough it, then this would be my pick for a first time.
If you want more info or want to contact the park, then call 828-675-4611.
The mountain and park are named for Dr. Elisha Mitchell who taught at UNC-Chapel Hill. Mitchell explored the Black Mountain range and is the one who figured out how to calculate heights for the range. He was only 12 feet shy on his estimate of Mount Mitchell. He died when he fell down the waterfall and drowned. He is buried up next to the observation tower where you’ll see a market with some details about him.
When I was a kid, the elementary school used to take classes up to Mount Mitchell. We would spend the day going up and down the observation tower and hiking the trails. Actually we would park in the lower lot and climb up to the peak where the tower stands. That’s about 6 miles and strenuous climbing unless you are in elementary school. Our teachers must have been younger than we thought back then, because they always hiked up that steep incline with us. I can say that it is a work out now with my two boys.
The reason we visited Mount Mitchell with school classes was because it is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. It’s part of the Black Mountain range, which is a small range above the Smokey Mountains. Although the range is smaller than our other mountain ranges with only about 15 miles of mountains in the chain, this one has the highest peaks with Mount Mitchell being the highest of all at 6684 feet.
We also visited, because it was an easy day trip from near Charlotte, NC. Mount Mitchell is a half hour north of Asheville, NC in Burnsville. The only way to get to Mount Mitchell is from the Blue Ridge Parkway on NC 128. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a beautiful drive through the mountains across several eastern states, and it’s a nice drive except during heavy snow.
When you get off the Parkway at Mount Mitchell, you just follow the signs. You can park at a lower level and walk up or you can drive up to the top. At the top, you have a great view unless it’s foggy. You can see for miles and miles. Climb the observation tower for an even better view. Kids really love the tower.
If you’re hungry, the park has a snack bar. It is also the only state park with a full restaurant (May 1 to October 31 only). There are no restaurants on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so this is a nice stop if you want to eat. Of course, you can also take a picnic. They have 40 picnic tables on a first come basis. Two shelters are available with 2 tables each. There are some grills too if you want to cook out.
Camping is available, but there are only 9 spaces. These are tent spaces, and you don’t have bathrooms or hot water. You can also register and park at Mount Mitchell and then hike into the Pisgah National Forest which connects. This would be backpack camping and very back woods.
If you are visiting Asheville or driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, this is a great stop. The views are terrific. You can also learn about our forests and how modern life is impacting and destroying the evergreens. You can check about the educational programs, and school groups are always welcome just as they were back when I was a kid.
This would also be a good park to home base from if you want to do some deep woods camping. I prefer a real bathroom myself and some hot running water, but if I decided to really rough it, then this would be my pick for a first time.
If you want more info or want to contact the park, then call 828-675-4611.
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