Picnic–Deep Gap, 4 sights is an 8.5-mile out-and-back in Mount Mitchell State Park near Eskota, NC. The route passes Picnic before reaching Deep Gap at the turnaround, 4.1 miles in. It climbs 3,011 ft, with sections as steep as 35% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 57/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi5,696 – 6,644 ft · steepest grade: 35%8.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Campground Trail 35.76083, -82.27085
Nearest town Eskota, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Picnic–Deep Gap, 4 sights
8.5 mi · ▲ 3,011 ft · 4 hr 20 min
Elevation 5,696–6,643 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.
- 3.5 miPass Deep Gap.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Black Mountain Crest Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miReach Picnic, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Black Mountain Crest, heading NE.
- 3.6 miContinue straight onto Mountain Mountain Crest, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Mount Mitchell Summit Trail, heading SW.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Old Mitchell Trail, heading SW.
- 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
95% dirt2% paved3% unspecified
Weather
Light drizzleTemperature 71°F57°
Precip21%Wind2 mphUV7Humidity84%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
75°55°
Sunrise 7:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:54 PM
Sat
71°56°
17%
Sun
74°54°
63%
Mon
60°52°
53%
Tue
64°46°
Wed
70°48°
Thu
72°53°
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
- Maple Camp Bald–Picnic, 4 sights 5.7 mi · ▲ 2,127 ft
- Commissary Hill–Picnic, 5 sights 6.5 mi · ▲ 1,683 ft
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Hikes near Eskota, North Carolina