Tricorner Knob facts for kids
Tricorner Knob is a tall mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains in the Southeastern United States. It stands at 6,120 feet (1,865 meters) high. This mountain is a very important meeting point in the Eastern Smokies. The famous Appalachian Trail and the Balsam Mountain Trail both cross near its top.
Tricorner Knob is special because it sits right on the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Its name, "Tricorner," comes from how three different areas meet there. It's where the Balsam Mountains connect with the main Great Smoky Mountains range, forming a triangle shape. Also, three counties meet at the very top of Tricorner Knob. These are Sevier County in Tennessee, and Haywood County and Swain County in North Carolina.
The mountain rises about 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) from its base near the Little Pigeon River. Tricorner Knob is one of the highest mountains in both Tennessee and North Carolina. It is the 9th highest in Tennessee and the 27th highest in North Carolina.
Because Tricorner Knob is in a remote area, it has remained mostly untouched by people. It is covered in a thick spruce-fir forest. In 1859, a surveyor named Arnold Guyot measured its height. He found it to be 6,188 feet (1,886 meters) tall. For a long time, only surveyors or nature lovers visited the mountain.
Then, in 1935, a part of the Appalachian Trail was built across its western side. A hidden spring on the mountain's southern slope was a key reason for choosing this spot. This is where the Tricorner Knob Shelter is located today. A writer named Laura Thornborough visited in the late 1930s. She called Tricorner Knob a "true wilderness area." She said it was a place where you could connect with nature and forget your worries.
How to Visit Tricorner Knob
Reaching Tricorner Knob means you need to go on a long hike. One way to get there is from the Cosby Campground. You start behind Campsite B51. From there, the Snake Den Ridge Trail goes up the ridge for about 5.3 miles (8.5 kilometers). This trail connects with the Appalachian Trail.
Once you are on the Appalachian Trail, Tricorner Knob is about 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) away. You will walk across the slopes of other mountains like Old Black and Mount Guyot.
Another trail, the Balsam Mountain Trail, is 6 miles (9.7 kilometers) long. It connects the Appalachian Trail in the west with the Benton MacKaye Trail to the east. You can reach the Benton MacKaye Trail from Straight Fork Road. This is a rough gravel road that starts in Cherokee, North Carolina. From a sharp bend in this road, Tricorner Knob is a little over 10 miles (16 kilometers) away.
There is also a 15-mile (24-kilometer) section of the Appalachian Trail. This section connects Tricorner Knob with Newfound Gap in the middle of the Smokies.
Tricorner Knob Shelter
The Tricorner Knob Shelter is a place where hikers can rest and stay overnight. It can hold up to 12 people. If you want to camp there, you need to get a permit from the park service first. The shelter is located about halfway between the Peck's Corner Shelter to the west and the Cosby Knob Shelter to the northeast.
