The Black Mountains of North Carolina play host to the tallest peaks in the Eastern United States. This range lies within the Blue Ridge Mountains - and with the blessing of a national parkway, you can find some of the most beautiful and easily accessible overlooks in the country. (record scratch) But we don’t do “easy”.
CONTENTS
00:00 Intro Teaser
01:08 #5 MTS to Patton Knob
03:36 #4 Colbert Ridge Trail
06:07 #3 Woody Ridge Trail
08:44 #2 Mount Mitchell Trail
11:15 #1 Deep Gap Trail
The Black Mountains are filled with intimidating climbs and daunting hikes that lead to some of the most rewarding views in the country. This is how we roll. You can indeed drive on highway 128, the highest road east of the Mississippi River, and reach the Mount Mitchell Summit Trail, a short paved path to the highest peak in the east. But what’s the fun in that? We suggest that you leave your princess gear and sissy shoes at home and grab your big girl pants and big boy boots to prepare for Cris & Cale’s Top 5 Trails of the North Carolina Black Mountains.
Mountain-To-Sea Trail to Patton Knob
The Mountain-To-Sea Trail stretches almost 1200 miles across North Carolina and touches the southern portion of Mount Mitchell State Park. This 5-mile out-and-back is the only moderate hike on our list, but it provides ample opportunities for solitude and spectacular views as you traverse a path that leads to Patton Knob, one of the area’s 6000 foot peaks.
Colbert Ridge Trail
The Colbert Ridge path to the Black Mountain Crest is the most difficult trail on this list - and perhaps one of the most aggressive hikes in the southeast. It takes a long, brutal and technical uphill climb to the ridgeline near Deep Gap. A right turn will take you to Winter Star Mountain. The climb is so long and steep, you will encounter swift weather changes. We experienced the transition of modest climate to bitter cold and a stunningly beautiful winter wonderland.
Woody Ridge Trail
The Woody Ridge Trail is the steepest path up and down the Black Mountains. It topped our list of the southeast’s steepest trails, exceeding a 38% grade for an entire half mile. It ascends to the same Black Mountain Crest as Colbert Ridge, providing breathtaking views on your way to several 6000 foot summits, including Celo Knob - the 6300 foot peak at the far northern end of the Black Mountains.
Mount Mitchell Trail
The Mount Mitchell Trail is a bucket list hike that ascends 3700 feet over 6 miles to the North American eastern summit king. The climb is unrelenting, but consistently modest in steepness. Your destination is the same summit trail that folks can drive to, leading to mild feelings of resentment as you share the same intense overlooks. Regardless, the personal sense of accomplishment of such a massive climb makes this hike a worthwhile endeavor.
Deep Gap Trail
The Deep Gap Trail shares much with the Black Mountain Crest Trail, a path along the ridgeline that traverses five of the ten tallest peaks in the east. This constant up-and-down path is filled with technical climbs, breathtaking fauna, and eye-popping vistas. We started at Mount Mitchell and completed an out-and-back to Deep Gap. You can also start a climb at the Bowlens Creek or Woody Ridge trailhead that puts you at the crest’s northern end. Then you can turn toward Mount Mitchell to complete an epic 12-mile point-to-point.
Trail Comparison
This map shows the path of our five trails including the three trails that take brutal ascents up the side of this notoriously rugged mountain range. This chart and graph shows the different trail attributes. It displays a rating of four components that make up the overall difficulty rating. You can see that four of the five hikes are strenuous, keeping to the reputation of the treacherous Black Mountains.