Another trail leading to the summit of Mt. Sterling is the Baxter Creek Trail. The Baxter Creek Trail is 6.2 miles and starts at a campsite just across the Tennessee/North Carolina border. This trail is rugged and extremely demanding, sometimes there can be over 20 full grown trees fallen across the trail that you will either have to climb over or crawl under. It is very tough to cross many of the trees. This trail is the hardest to ascend to the Mt. Sterling summit, if you're looking for something challenging this is definitely the best trail to take up. You can access this trail by taking the Waterville exit #451 off I-40 just on the Tennessee side. You want to take the exit going towards the river, cross the river and continue driving straight. Once you are driving parallel with the river continue straight until you see signs guiding you to the trail head. There is a ranger station at the campsite and the trail head is within two miles of the interstate exit.
The creator of this page states "The Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains unique (as far as I know) in the national park service in that there are no fees."
This will no longer be true beginning 3/1/23, a charge to park will now be required of $5/day, with a few other options also available. An end to an era in the GSMNP, one I have mixed feelings about.
gwave47 - May 23, 2005 12:46 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentAnother trail leading to the summit of Mt. Sterling is the Baxter Creek Trail. The Baxter Creek Trail is 6.2 miles and starts at a campsite just across the Tennessee/North Carolina border. This trail is rugged and extremely demanding, sometimes there can be over 20 full grown trees fallen across the trail that you will either have to climb over or crawl under. It is very tough to cross many of the trees. This trail is the hardest to ascend to the Mt. Sterling summit, if you're looking for something challenging this is definitely the best trail to take up. You can access this trail by taking the Waterville exit #451 off I-40 just on the Tennessee side. You want to take the exit going towards the river, cross the river and continue driving straight. Once you are driving parallel with the river continue straight until you see signs guiding you to the trail head. There is a ranger station at the campsite and the trail head is within two miles of the interstate exit.
bdreese2 - Jan 29, 2023 11:45 am - Hasn't voted
Fees for ParkingThe creator of this page states "The Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains unique (as far as I know) in the national park service in that there are no fees."
This will no longer be true beginning 3/1/23, a charge to park will now be required of $5/day, with a few other options also available. An end to an era in the GSMNP, one I have mixed feelings about.