Mount Mitchel Observation Deck
More than a mile from base to summit, Mount Mitchell stands majestic among the Black Mountains of North Carolina. It is located in Yancey County, North Carolina, between Asheville and Burnsville. You can get to it via the Blue Ridge Parkway and NC highway 128, a route that provides breathtaking views of these forested highlands. Mount Mitchell is surrounded by the sprawling Mount Mitchell State Park and is named for the man who measured its height in 1835: Elisha Mitchell.
As the highest point east of the Mississippi, this mountain affords visitors stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains along with their perpetually misty emerald ridges and valleys. This is certainly not the landscape that many travelers equate with the “South.” It bears more in common with parts of Canada than it does with most areas below the Mason-Dixon Line.
Things to Do in Mount Mitchell State Park ยท Hiking
The park has many trails and hiking is the best way to explore the mountain and its environs. Hikers should be sure to dress appropriately and to educate themselves about the risks of hiking and camping above 6,000 feet. For those not inclined to go very far, there is a stone observation platform that can be accessed with relative ease via a short trail from the parking lot at the summit. In good weather, visitors standing on this platform can see more than 80 miles into the distance.
Camping and Dining
On a clear day, the Charlotte skyline is visible from the summit of Mount Mitchell.
Campers may pitch their tents at the Carolina Hemlocks Campground where each campsite has been provided with its own grill and picnic table. They may choose to use that grill and picnic table or they may instead dine at the Mount Mitchell View Restaurant which is the highest altitude restaurant on the Eastern Side of the Mississippi. It should be noted that this restaurant is only open from May to October. Additionally, there is a year-round picnic area near Mount Mitchell’s summit that comes equipped with shelters and fireplaces.
Educational Activities
Visitors who are interested learning about Mount Mitchell’s diverse flora and fauna can do so via the programs held by the park’s rangers or by visiting the Natural History Museum located on park grounds. The exhibit hall there features an interactive weather database along with dioramas that show the park’s wealth of wildlife.
Photos by Eric McCarty, Family Photographer in Johnson City, TN