Picnic–Black Mountain Crest, 3 sights is a 14.8-mile out-and-back in Mount Mitchell State Park near Cattail Creek Community, NC. The route reaches Picnic. It climbs 5,322 ft, with sections as steep as 35% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 64/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi3,963 – 6,644 ft · steepest grade: 35%15.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 35.81096, -82.27206
Nearest town Cattail Creek Community, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Picnic–Black Mountain Crest, 3 sights
14.8 mi · ▲ 5,322 ft · 7 hr 36 min
Elevation 3,962–6,643 ft
Out & Back · Mount Mitchell State Park
Trailhead: 35.81096, -82.27206
Weather Sep 6: sunrise 7:06 AM · sunset 7:51 PM
Dogs allowed on leash
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Deep Gap Road, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 1.2 miBear left, heading S.
- 0.7 miSharp right onto Black Mountain Crest, heading SW.
- 3.5 miPass Picnic.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Mountain Mountain Crest, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Mount Mitchell Summit Trail, heading SW.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Old Mitchell Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Camp Alice Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Commissary Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Buncombe Horse Range Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftReach Picnic, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear right onto Commissary Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Camp Alice Trail, heading SE.
- 0.4 miSharp right onto Old Mitchell Trail, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Mount Mitchell Summit Trail, heading N.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right onto Mountain Mountain Crest, heading NW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Black Mountain Crest, heading W.
- 3.6 miSharp left, heading N.
- 0.7 miBear right, heading SW.
- 1.2 miTurn right onto Deep Gap Road, heading S.
- 0.9 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
93% dirt1% paved6% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 7:06 AMSunset 7:51 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.8 mi in (~79 min). Leave by 6:12 PM for the 7:51 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:52 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Dogs allowed on leash
More from this trailhead
- Deep Gap Road 3.8 mi · ▲ 1,483 ft
- Ogle Gap & Deep Gap Road 9.2 mi · ▲ 2,790 ft
- Black Mountain Crest 9.9 mi · ▲ 3,327 ft
- Deep Gap–Black Mountain Crest, 3 sights 13.2 mi · ▲ 4,785 ft
- Horse Rock–Duck pond, 6 sights 16 mi · ▲ 5,967 ft
Get outside more
A wild hike near Cattail Creek Community, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Cattail Creek Community, North Carolina