The hike follows the Mountains-to-Sea Trail east from a pull-off on NC 128 at 5,390 feet to 6,684 feet at the top of Mt. Mitchell and down to Black Mountain Campgrounds at 3,000 feet. On the way up, you’ll be hiking on an old railroad bed and pass the Camp Alice site which offered rustic lodging to tourists from about 1914 to the late 1930s.

The climate on top is more like Canada than the typical Southern Appalachian climate. As you hike down from the top, you’ll see the forest change from a fir/spruce forest to oak and hickory. Though you can drive within a few hundred feet of the summit of Mt. Mitchell, this hike will showcase the differences in climate and environment as you travel down almost 4,000 feet.

Length: 11.4 miles

Altitude gain: 1,590 feet

Map:South Toe River, Mount Mitchell and Big Ivy Trail Maps, USDA Forest Service and Mt. Mitchell State Park map available at the Mt. Mitchell visitor center

Trailhead: Place one car at the Black Mountain Campground, the end of the hike. To get there, take the Blue Ridge Parkway north past MP 348. Exit to the left on unpaved FS 2074 as it goes down passing several campsites. At a triangle formed by three roads, go straight. The campground is 3.3 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Place a second car on NC 128, the Mt. Mitchell Road. To do that, drive back up from Black Mountain Campground to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Go south for 7.9 miles to NC 128 at MP 355.3. Turn right on NC 128 and drive 0.6 miles to a gravel parking area on the right.