Maple Camp Bald–Picnic, 4 sights is a 5.7-mile out-and-back in Mount Mitchell State Park near Eskota, NC. The route passes Picnic before reaching Maple Camp Bald at the turnaround, 2.9 miles in. It climbs 2,127 ft, with sections as steep as 32% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 44/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Maple Camp Bald–Picnic, 4 sights
5.7 mi · ▲ 2,127 ft · 2 hr 58 min
Elevation 5,576–6,643 ft
Out & Back · Mount Mitchell State Park
Trailhead: Campground Trail · 35.76083, -82.27085
Weather Sep 4: Light drizzle, high 71°F / low 57° · precip 21% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 7:04 AM · sunset 7:54 PM
Dogs allowed on leash · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Campground Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Old Mitchell Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Mount Mitchell Summit Trail, heading NW.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftPass Picnic.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right onto Mountain Mountain Crest, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Black Mountain Crest, heading NE.
- 1.4 miSharp right onto Big Tom Gap Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Buncombe Horse Trail, heading SE.
- 0.6 miReach Maple Camp Bald, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Big Tom Gap Trail, heading W.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Black Mountain Crest, heading NW.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Mountain Mountain Crest, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Mount Mitchell Summit Trail, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Old Mitchell Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Campground Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:34 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:54 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 8:20 PM.
Good to know
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Campground Trail Trailhead
- Mount Mitchell & Campground Trail 1.1 mi · ▲ 403 ft
- Commissary Hill–Camp Alice Trail, 4 sights 3.6 mi · ▲ 1,068 ft
- Camp Alice Trail–Campground Trail, 4 sights 3.7 mi · ▲ 1,052 ft
- Picnic–Big Tom Gap Trail, 3 sights 4.6 mi · ▲ 1,964 ft
- Commissary Hill–Picnic, 5 sights 6.5 mi · ▲ 1,683 ft
- Picnic–Deep Gap, 4 sights 8.5 mi · ▲ 3,011 ft
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Hikes near Eskota, North Carolina