Mount Craig (North Carolina) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Craig |
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Mount Craig as viewed from the summit of Mount Mitchell, taken in 2016.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,647 ft (2,026 m) |
| Prominence | 287 ft (87 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Yancey County, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Parent range | Appalachian Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Mitchell |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Mount Craig is a really tall mountain in North Carolina, USA. It's the second highest peak in the entire Appalachian Mountains! Only Mount Mitchell is taller. Mount Craig stands at 6,647 feet (2,026 m) high. It's found in the Black Mountains in Yancey County, North Carolina. This amazing mountain is part of both Mount Mitchell State Park and the Pisgah National Forest. It's only about a mile (2 km) north of Mount Mitchell.
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Who Was Mount Craig Named After?
Mount Craig got its name from a special person named Locke Craig. He was the governor of North Carolina from 1913 to 1917. Governor Craig helped create Mount Mitchell State Park in 1915. This was North Carolina's very first state park! It was important because it helped protect the beautiful mountain area from too much logging.
Hiking Trails to Mount Craig
You can easily reach Mount Craig by hiking! There's a trail called the Deep Gap Trail. It takes about 45 minutes to hike from the picnic area near the top of Mount Mitchell. You can find this picnic area off N.C. Highway 128.
What You See From the Top
When you reach the top of Mount Craig, you get an amazing view! You can see a large part of the southern Black Mountain Range. There's also a special marker on the summit from the North Carolina Geodetic Survey.
Exploring Beyond Mount Craig
The Deep Gap Trail doesn't stop at Mount Craig. It continues on to other high peaks in North Carolina. These include Big Tom, Cattail Peak, Balsam Cone, and Potato Knob. The trail also goes through Deep Gap to Winter Star Mountain, Gibbs Mountain, and Celo Knob.
Why Mount Craig is the Second Highest
For a while, Mount Craig was thought to be the third highest point in eastern North America. But now, the USGS says it's the second highest!
How Mountains Are Measured
There's only a small difference in height between Mount Craig and Clingmans Dome. Clingmans Dome is 6,643 feet (2,025 m) tall and is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains. Clingmans Dome's height was measured a long time ago in 1920 using an older method.
Mount Craig's height was updated in 1993. Scientists used satellite GPS technology. This new measurement was very accurate, down to about 4 inches (10 centimeters)! Until Clingmans Dome can be measured again with GPS, Mount Craig will stay known as the second highest peak.
