Mount Mitchell State Park is known as being the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. At 6,684 feet above elevation, Mount Mitchell State Park is a great tourist attraction for those looking for breathtaking views.
What is so great about Mount Mitchell?
Mount Mitchell State Park is the highest mountain peak east of the Mississippi River. Measuring 6,684 feet above elevation.
Where is Mount Mitchell?
Mount Mitchell is located near Burnsville, North Carolina and is surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest on 1,946 acres of state park.
History of Mount Mitchell
The story of how Mount Mitchell came about is actually a pretty unique story. Elisha Mitchell, a Professor at the University of North Carolina was determined to prove that Mount Mitchell was the highest peak; beating Mount Washington in New Hampshire by hundreds of feet. After proving Mount Mitchell was indeed the highest mountain peek, Mitchell fell to his death at Mitchell Falls when he returned to verify his measurements. His body is buried at the top of Mount Mitchell today.
Driving to the Top of Mount Mitchell
The drive to Mount Mitchell State Park isn’t a short one. Drivers must first get on the Blue Ridge Scenic Parkway and drive almost 50 minutes up to the top of the mountain where the Mount Mitchell State Park actually is. The drive, itself, is beautiful. You will go through tunnels, have the chance to stop at many scenic pull-offs, but the ground there is practically untouched and ALL mountains. There is one small visitor’s center on the way up the mountain, but it seems to fill up pretty quickly.
At Last, Mount Mitchell State Park
Once you make it to the top of Mount Mitchell and find your way into the State Park, you are taken as far as you can go up the mountain to a huge parking lot and visitor’s center and museum. Folks then have the opportunity to hike the rest of the way to the top of the mountain and stand on a really cool looking observation platform. Atop the platform, views are better than ever! You can look down upon the mountains and see from distances far and wide. It is even said that you can see the Charlotte Skyline from atop the mountain on a clear day.
Tips before you go:
- Pack a light jacket, if visiting in the summer months, or heavy clothing for winter months. Being on top of a mountain, the weather is cooler.
- Grab food and drinks before your visit. Although, Mount Mitchell has a restaurant, it was pretty packed on the day we were there and there is nowhere to stop to grab extra snacks or drinks.
- Fill up before you go. The road to Mount Mitchell State Park does have a few pull-offs but there are NO places to get gas.
- Bring bug-spray. The day we were there, bugs were everywhere and kept landing on us.
- Visit early in the morning. We visited later in the afternoon and the place was packed. We had a hard time taking photos, or even finding room to stand on the observation platform.
- Don’t plan on stopping at every scenic view because there are a lot.
Last Updated on 4 years ago by Crystal Carder