Mount Mitchell State Park Trails
Here are the details about each individual trail along this section of the Parkway. If you'd like a more guided experience, see the Best Hikes which piece these trails together into a full trip.
Balsam Nature
This is a short loop through a dense fir forest at summit. Start from the parking area; proceed up the Summit trail and bear left at the sign onto the Mountains to Sea trail. Bear left again at the next intersection to head back to the parking area. This self-guiding nature trail identifies unique elements of this boreal forest. Some climbing is required and some sections are rocky and/or have steps. A short spur near the end leads to the highest spring east of the Mississippi, which runs a constant 37 degrees.
Big Tom Gap
Blaze Color: Blue
USGS/USFS Number: 191-A
The trail provides good views including Maple Camp Bald to the northeast. It offers loop opportunities with the Buncombe Horse Range Trail, Mount Mitchell Trail and the Black Mountain Crest Trail. This narrow trail is extremely steep and follows unsteady rock debris.
Camp Alice
Leads from Camp Alice to the Old Mitchell Trail just above the campground. The Mountains to Sea trail follows this route. Steep and rough, but short and well-built trail that travels through beautiful sections of fraser fir forests.
Commissary
This is an easy walk on a gently sloping gravel road to a historic logging, and later, tourist camp site below the summit. Starts at Stepps Gap at the Park Office. Provides spectacular views of Mount Mitchell and the mountains below. Passes through grassy fields on Bearwallow and Grassy Knob Ridges; also Spruce-Fir forests. Connects with the Mountains to Sea Trail, the Camp Alice Trail, and the Buncombe Horse Range Trail which continues 0.8 mi beyond Camp Alice to Commissary Ridge, a popular campsite on National Forest property. Crosses Lower Creek just before Camp Alice.
Deep Gap
USGS/USFS Number: 179
Starting from the picnic area, crosses Mt. Craig (2nd highest mountain in the East), Big Tom, Cattail Peak, and Potato Hill (all above 6000') before descending to Deep Gap. Deep gap is a popular National Forest campsite. There are spectacular views in places, with balds on Mt. Craig and dense spruce-fir forests with some mixed high-elevation hardwoods elsewhere. High elevation rugged trail with lots of exposure, with very steep and rough sections. No water along the way. Also called the Black Mountains Crest Trail.
Mount Mitchell
USGS/USFS Number: 190
This long, strenuous trail leads from the Black Mountain Campground (USFS) to the summit. Most of the trail is on USFS property. Climbs 3600' in 5.5 miles. It's steep and rough in sections, but there are spectacular views. You'll travel through a mixed hardwood forest at lower elevations, dense, old-growth spruce forests in upper elevations and almost pure stands of Fraser Fir at the top. An alternate trail to Higgins Bald adds 0.2 miles to the length. This path is shared with the Mountains to Sea Trail along its entire route.
Old Mitchell
Leads from the park office to the Summit trail. Travels through a dense spruce-fir forest; though the trees are mostly firs along the ridges. There are some wet, rocky, steep and/or exposed cliff sections. Provides spectacular views of the summit and surrounding mountains as well as close-up examination of the high-elevation flora. Trail passes the restaurant and campground. This path is shared with the Mountains to Sea Trail beyond the intersection with the Camp Alice/Mountains to Sea Trail.
Old Mitchell - Campground Spur
Short spur leading from the park campground up to the the Old Mitchell trail below the summit. Go straight to reach the summit; right to get to the Camp Alice trail and the rest of the Old Mitchell trail.
Summit
This easy leg stretcher leads from the summit parking area to the circular observation platform at the summit itself. It is a paved path through a decimated fir forest; nearly all the large firs are dead but new ones are sprouting everywhere to take their place. The platform provides spectacular views from the highest point east of the Mississippi river. The summit is now accessible.
