Picnic & Old Mitchell Trail via Black Mountain Crest is a 4.8-mile out-and-back in Mount Mitchell State Park near Eskota, NC. The route reaches Picnic. It climbs 1,774 ft, with sections as steep as 35% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 24/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi6,090 – 6,644 ft · steepest grade: 35%5.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Old Mitchell Trail 35.75478, -82.27278
Nearest town Eskota, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Picnic & Old Mitchell Trail via Black Mountain Crest
4.8 mi · ▲ 1,774 ft · 2 hr 29 min
Elevation 6,090–6,643 ft
Out & Back · Mount Mitchell State Park
Trailhead: Old Mitchell Trail · 35.75478, -82.27278
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
- Start on Old Mitchell Trail, heading NE.
- 0.9 miTurn left onto Mount Mitchell Summit Trail, heading NW.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right onto Mountain Mountain Crest, heading N.
- 50 ftPass Picnic.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Black Mountain Crest, heading N.
- 1.4 miReach Picnic, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Mountain Mountain Crest, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 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 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
95% dirt4% paved1% boardwalk
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
72°57°
17%
Sun
74°55°
63%
Mon
60°52°
53%
Tue
64°46°
Wed
70°49°
Thu
72°54°
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
More from Old Mitchell Trail Trailhead
- Old Mitchell Trail 2.2 mi · ▲ 724 ft
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