Lofty Mount Mitchell, near Burnsville, North Carolina, rises to 6,684 feet and is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River. The mountain is the centerpiece of the 4,789-acre Mount Mitchell State Park, easily accessible off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Mount Mitchell State Park offers numerous hiking trails as well as a museum, restaurant, concession stand, and gift shop. The wheelchair-accessible observation deck offers breathtaking panoramic views.
The State Park contains extensive spruce-fir forest, an ecosystem common in northern climes but found only in a narrow band in the Appalachian Mountains. This natural community is characterized by evergreens, particularly red spruce and Fraser fir.
Uncommon animals that inhabit Mount Mitchell include the endangered northern flying squirrel, New England cottontail, bobcat, and many salamander species. The birds that breed here are more typical of northern conifer forests: red-breasted nuthatch, brown creeper, and golden-crowned kinglet.
Long before it was a State Park, Mount Mitchell was a popular tourist destination. In the 1920s, after the logging operations ceased on the mountain, the former logging railroad from the nearby town of Black Mountain was converted into a tourist train. Three years later, they removed the rails, and the rail bed became a motor toll road. For more than a decade, tourists visited the area along this route, until the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway put the toll road out of business.
The mountain was named in honor of Dr. Elisha Mitchell, an educator and scientist from Chapel Hill, who died while climbing the mountain in 1857 in his effort to prove it was the highest peak in eastern North America. Dr. Mitchell’s grave lies next to the observation deck.
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Hours of Operation
Park gate hours:
- January and February: 7 am to 6 pm
- March and April: 7 am to 8 pm
- May, June, July, August: 7 am to 10 pm
- September: 7 am to 9 pm
- October: 7 am to 8 pm
- November and December: 7 am to 6 pm
During the winter months, the Park is often inaccessible from the Parkway due to snow and ice. The Park is closed on Christmas Day.
Park Office Hours:
- From November to March, open Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- From April to October, open daily, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission Fees
- Park entry: No
- Campsite: Yes
- Backpacking: No, but registration is required.
- Picnic Shelters and Event Space: Yes. See site for details.
Hours of operation and fees are subject to change. Contact directly for the most current information.
Location
Mount Mitchell State Park is located off the Blue Ridge Parkway. At milepost 355.4, turn north on NC 128 and go 2.4 miles to the Park entrance.
Mount Mitchell State Park
2388 State Highway 128
Burnsville, NC 28714
(828) 675-4611
Yancey County/Burnsville Chamber of Commerce
106 West Main
Burnsville, NC 28714
(828) 682-7413
800-948-1632
