The highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in mainland eastern North America
General Information
March to April: 7am to 8pm
May to August: 7am to 10pm
September to October: 7am to 9pm
Closed Christmas Day
How to Get There
Head east on S Pack Square toward S Market St. Turn left onto S Market St. Turn right onto College St. At the traffic circle, continue straight to stay on College St. Turn left onto NC-694 N/Town Mountain Rd. Turn left onto Blue Ridge Pkwy. Turn left onto NC-128
Overview
Mount Mitchell State Park protects the highest peak in mainland eastern North America, at 6,684 feet, in the Black Mountains near Burnsville, about 19 miles northeast of Asheville. Known to the Cherokee as Attakulla, it is named for University of North Carolina professor Elisha Mitchell, who measured its height in 1835 and is buried at the summit. Established in 1915 as North Carolina's first state park, the 4,789-acre park is surrounded by Pisgah National Forest.
The summit's climate resembles parts of Canada, supporting spruce-fir forest of red spruce and Fraser fir, and temperatures stay cool even in summer. Access is only via the Blue Ridge Parkway, so most visitors come between May and November.
Things to Do
Reach the Summit
A 4.6-mile road (NC 128) from the Blue Ridge Parkway leads to a parking lot, then a steep, paved 980-foot trail climbs to an observation deck with 360-degree views.
Visit the Exhibit Hall
Seasonal exhibits at the summit cover the mountain's natural, cultural, and historical heritage, and the park has a seasonal restaurant and tent camping.
Hike the High Peaks
About 8 miles of trails lead to Mount Craig (the second-highest peak in the East), Big Tom, and Balsam Cone, plus historic Camp Alice, and connect to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Top Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Mitchell Summit Trail | About 0.3 miles round trip | Easy | Paved path to the observation deck and Mitchell's tomb |
| Balsam Nature Trail | About 0.75 miles loop | Easy to Moderate | Interpretive walk through spruce-fir forest |
| Deep Gap Trail | About 4 miles round trip | Moderate | Descends through dense mountain forest to Deep Gap |
| Mountains-to-Sea Trail | Varies | Moderate to Strenuous | Longer hikes through the Black Mountains |
The park is the finish line of The Assault on Mount Mitchell cycling race and the midpoint of the Mount Mitchell Challenge ultramarathon.
This article uses material from official tourism pages for Mount Mitchell State Park, Mount Mitchell, released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
