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Mount Mitchell State Park

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Mount Mitchell State Park
Sign
Mount Mitchell State Park is located in North Carolina
Mount Mitchell State Park
Mount Mitchell State Park
Location within North Carolina
Mount Mitchell State Park is located in the United States
Mount Mitchell State Park
Mount Mitchell State Park
Location within the United States
Map
Interactive map of Mount Mitchell State Park
LocationYancey County, North Carolina, United States
Coordinates35°45′53″N 82°15′55″W / 35.7648°N 82.2652°W / 35.7648; -82.2652[1]
Area4,789 acres (1,938 ha)[2]
Elevation6,366 ft (1,940 m)
Established1916[1]
AdministratorNorth Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Mount Mitchell State Park is a 4,789-acre (1,938 ha)[2] North Carolina state park in Yancey County, North Carolina in the United States. Located at the end of NC 128 off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Burnsville, North Carolina, it includes the peak of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Established in 1915 by the state legislature, it became the first state park of North Carolina. The North Carolina State Parks System was established in the same bill.[3]

Features

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In addition to Mount Mitchell itself, the park encompasses several other peaks which top out at over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) in elevation, including Mount Hallback, Mount Craig (just 52 feet (16 m) shy of Mount Mitchell in elevation and the second highest peak east of the Mississippi River), Big Tom, and Balsam Cone. Trails lead to all of these summits save Mount Hallback. About 8 miles (13 km) of trails exist within the park in all.[4]

From the parking lot, a steep paved path leads visitors to the summit and a raised observation platform with 360 degree views. The grave of Elisha Mitchell, the professor who first noted the mountain's height, is located at the base of the observation platform. The old observation tower was torn down in early October 2006. The trail leading to the summit has been paved, and a new observation platform was constructed and opened to the public in January 2009. A museum is open seasonally at the summit with information about the mountain's natural, cultural and historical heritage.[5] The park operates a restaurant and a small tent camping sites seasonally.[6] The buildings were built in the 1950s and renovation is planned. Most visitors come between May and November because the only access is the Blue Ridge Parkway. The park is staffed year-round, but can become difficult to reach during the worst weather conditions.[7]

The park had 398,000 visitors in 2017.[7]

Robert McGraw has been superintendent of the park since 2020.[8]

Another destination accessible by trail within the park is Camp Alice, located south of the summit of Mount Mitchell at an elevation of 5800 ft (1767.84 m). This historic site is the location of a logging and, later, Civilian Conservation Corps tourist camp at the terminus of the old Mount Mitchell toll road.[9] Lower Creek, one of the highest elevation perennial streams in the Appalachians, flows across the main trail at this point.[citation needed]

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Events

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The park serves as the finish line for The Assault on Mount Mitchell and the midpoint for the Mount Mitchell Challenge ultramarathon.[10][11]

Hurricane Helene

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The park closed on September 26, 2024 as Hurricane Helene approached the area.[12] Due to extensive storm-related damage to sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the park remained closed for nearly a year while roads were repaired.[13][14] The park reopened on September 15, 2025.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (2015). "Mountain Mitchell State Park". NCpedia. State Library of North Carolina. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Size of the North Carolina State Parks System" (XLS). North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. July 1, 2020. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  3. ↑ "March 3, 1915 | Mount Mitchell Becomes NC's First State Park". WFMY. March 3, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Mt. Mitchell State Park". HikingintheSmokys.com & StaySense LLC. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Mt. Mitchell State Park". Romantic Asheville. RA Media LLC. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mount Mitchell State Park". NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Chávez, Karen (November 9, 2018). "Big improvements coming to Mount Mitchell, other WNC state parks". Asheville Citizen-Times.
  8. ↑ "Bischof Named Superintendent of Gorges State Park". North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. June 4, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  9. ↑ Ingelman, Jack (June 22, 2018). "Three Kid-Friendly Hikes for Summer". WNC Magazine. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  10. ↑ Kimzey, Kim (May 15, 2017). "NASCAR stars among hundreds of cyclists battling Assault on Mt. Mitchell". WSPA 7News. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  11. ↑ "The Beast in the East". Trail Runner. April 26, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  12. ↑ "State Parks Closures Due to Hurricane Helene, Including Monarch Festival Cancellation" (Press release). NC State Parks. September 26, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  13. ↑ Stradling, Richard (December 18, 2024). "Three NC state parks remain closed indefinitely after Helene, including the largest". The News & Observer.
  14. 1 2 "Mount Mitchell State Park Reopens After Hurricane Helene" (Press release). NC State Parks. September 14, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
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