Black Mountain Crest | Deep Gap Trail | Mount Mitchell State Park | 1 Hike, 6 Summits | 6000' Peaks

This week we traveled to the Black Mountains of North Carolina - home to Mount Mitchell State Park and the highest peaks East of the Mississippi River. The Deep Gap Trail traverses the Black Mountain Crestline and takes you across 5 spectacular summits: Mount Craig, Big Tom, Balsam Cone, Cattail Peak, and Potato Hill. After the return trip back to the trailhead, you can take the short paved path to the grand daddy Mount Mitchell - the inspiration for one of the country’s first state parks. CONTENTS 00:00 Intro Teaser 00:45 Map & Overview 01:41 Travel to Park 03:07 Trailhead 04:57 Mount Craig 6,647 Feet 06:16 Big Tom 6,581 Feet 07:46 Balsam Cone 6,611 Feet 08:39 Cattail Peak 6,583 Feet 09:49 Potato Hill 6,475 Feet 11:24 Back to Trailhead 13:44 Mount Mitchell 6,684 Feet The spruce-fir forest here carries unpredictable weather as my son, Jordan, and I found out in the past. The mountain tops are quite colder than surrounding towns - and are often kissing the clouds. But when conditions are right, the trees give way to breathtaking views. To get there we traveled through the foothill town of Marion to reach North Carolina Highway 80 (a.k.a. the Devil’s Whip). This is a stretch of road that meets the Blue Ridge Parkway just down from Mount Mitchell State Park. It has 160 curves and rises over 2,000 feet of elevation over 12 adrenaline rushing miles. Due to its hairpin turns, it is one of the top rated stretches of road for bike and car enthusiasts alike. A quick trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway will give you an idea why this area provided inspiration for one our nation’s first state parks.