Mount Mitchell State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Mitchell State Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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A view from the summit of Mount Mitchell
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 Mount Mitchell State Park
Location in North Carolina
Mount Mitchell State Park
Location in the United States
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| Location | Yancey, North Carolina, United States |
| Area | 4,789 acres (19.38 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,366 ft (1,940 m) |
| Established | 1915 |
| Named for | Mount Mitchell |
| Governing body | North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation |
| Website | Mount Mitchell State Park |
| Designated: | 1974 |
Mount Mitchell State Park is a huge state park in Yancey County, North Carolina. It covers about 4,789-acre (1,938 ha) of land. This park is super special because it was the very first state park in North Carolina. It was created way back in 1915! When it was established, it also helped start the entire North Carolina State Parks System.
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Discover Mount Mitchell State Park
Mount Mitchell State Park is home to Mount Mitchell. This mountain is the highest point east of the famous Mississippi River! You can find the park at the end of NC 128, which branches off the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. It's near the town of Burnsville, North Carolina.
Reaching the Summit
Once you arrive at the park's parking lot, a paved path leads you right to the top of Mount Mitchell. At the summit, there's a special observation platform. From here, you can enjoy amazing 360-degree views of the mountains all around you!
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Near the observation platform, you'll find the grave of Elisha Mitchell. He was a professor who was the first to figure out how tall the mountain was. The old observation tower was taken down in 2006. A new, modern observation platform was built and opened in 2009.
Park Facilities and Visiting Tips
At the summit, there's an exhibit hall that opens during certain seasons. It teaches you all about the mountain's nature, history, and culture. The park also has a restaurant and a few spots for tent camping, which are open seasonally.
Most people visit Mount Mitchell State Park between May and November. This is because the main way to get there is via the Blue Ridge Parkway, which can sometimes close in bad weather. However, park staff are there all year round.
Exploring Other Peaks and Trails
Besides Mount Mitchell, the park has several other tall peaks. Some of these are over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) high! These include Mount Hallback, Mount Craig, Big Tom, and Balsam Cone. Mount Craig is almost as tall as Mount Mitchell, making it the second-highest peak east of the Mississippi River.
You can find trails leading to most of these other summits. Exploring them lets you get away from the main crowds on Mount Mitchell. These trails offer equally amazing views and experiences. In total, there are about 8 miles (13 km) of trails within the park.
Another cool spot you can reach by trail is Camp Alice. It's located at an elevation of 5800 ft (1767.84 m) south of Mount Mitchell's summit. This historic area used to be a logging camp. Later, it became a tourist camp run by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Lower Creek flows through the main trail at Camp Alice. This is one of the highest streams in the Appalachian Mountains! It flows through a special spruce-fir forest. Open areas in this forest, surrounded by evergreen trees, look a lot like places near the treeline in even higher mountain ranges.
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Mount Mitchell State Park is also famous for being the finish line for a bike race called The Assault on Mount Mitchell. It's also the halfway point for a super long running race called the Mount Mitchell Challenge ultramarathon.
Nearby Parks to Explore
If you love state parks, here are some others that are close to Mount Mitchell State Park (within 30 miles (48 km)):
- Chimney Rock State Park
- Grandfather Mountain State Park
- Lake James State Park
- Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park, Tennessee
- Pisgah View State Park
- Roan Mountain State Park, Tennessee
- South Mountains State Park
See also
