Mount Mitchell Trail

Approach

See the "Getting There" section of the main page to get to the trailhead.

Route Description

Walk several hundred yards through an area quickly being swallowed by logging. You'll shortly hit some switchbacks that will last about a mile. Then a long traverse east and then south along the side of the mountain. Some views open up on the east but they are mostly of a clearcut area on the neighboring mountain, the only bad views on this trail.

At 1.7 miles, ignore the trail that heads off left. It apparently goes to private land. From that side trail, you have 1.4 miles left to go and about 1000 feet remaining in elevation gain. With about a quarter of a mile left to go you will start into smaller trees and lots of beargrass. The trees mostly disappear shortly and you stroll though thick beargrass to the summit crags. Easy class 2 for a few yards gets you to the views. Descend the same trail. Length is 3.1 miles one way with 2100 feet of elevation gain.

You can also easily walk through game trails in the beargrass to the other sub-peaks. Be careful scrambling onto them. Some very cliffy parts with exposure.

Essential Gear

None needed.

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.

Images

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