Mount Mitchell | Mount Craig | Big Tom – A Dreamlike Setting
Trail Length: 7.5 miles
AllTrails Rating: Moderate – Strenuous
famBeta Rating: Perfect length for a couples hike – wear good boots.
famBeta Time: We spent about 5 hours on the mountain, but we could’ve stayed much longer. The rain forced us to keep moving but certainly didn’t spoil our moods.
This is the sort of trail you want to spend all day on. There is an amazing network of trails in this area, and depending upon which set of trails you take you can do a loop that is anywhere from 6 – 10 miles long. On this particular day we took the Balsam Nature Loop to the Mount Mitchell Trail, where we met the Buncombe Horse Range Trail near Commissary Hill. After trekking along the BHRT for a few miles we checked out Maple Camp Bald before backtracking to the Big Tom Gap trail which brings you up to the Black Mountain Crest Trail.
Our route gave us a little bit of everything that we typically search for in a hike. We had amazing, horizon-reaching views, a gentle summer rain storm, tons of waterfalls of varying sizes, bouldering with ropes, bouldering without ropes, steep trails and gentle ones. There were great folks that we met out on the trail, but they were few and far between. The Black Mountains are an awe inspiring site with an energy all their own.
What makes this such a fine adventure is how well these trails all complement one another. It’s because of this that I would recommend doing this trail in a counter-clockwise direction.
Starting this hike by heading down Mt Mitchell via the Mount Mitchell Trail is a great way to get a feel for the elevation gains you’ll have to make up for later in your hike. The trail is thin at times, and otherworldly, you’ll go through a black bear sanctuary, so humming a tune or otherwise making your presence known is highly suggested. Along the Mount Mitchell Trail you will face some slight scrambles, both up and down, and many rocks are slick even when dry. It’s a beautiful hike through a forest that changes in composition as you descend.
The Buncombe Horse Range Trail is easily the mildest trail of the day. It’s a few miles of typically muddy trail which crosses multiple streams. Throughout your trek along Mount Mitchell, Mount Craig, and Big Tom you’ll see countless streams cascade along the rock walls down to the trail and beyond. This made the mud more beautiful, knowing it was coming from these delicate streams. I also had the feeling that I was traversing a path used by humans for a very very long time. Reading online reviews you may get the idea that this is a trail to be rushed, but I wouldn’t do that, take it in, take your time, while you may not get amazing views along this section of trail you are rewarded with tranquility and isolation.
Towards the end of this section of the loop there are several great balds and outcrops on which you should definitely stop and snack. We quickly ate our lunch on one such clearing just before a gentle, yet at times heavy, rain storm rolled through. Also, as you traverse the next trail of this loop you’ll be grateful you let your legs rest for a minute – Big Tom Gap, or Big Tom Spur Gap as its sometimes listed, is no joke.
If you’re the kind of hiker that likes doing 500 plus feet in elevation gain in under .4 miles then Big Tom Gap is your trail. Let’s not confuse difficulty with beauty though, because this is a beautiful trail. If the rain hadn’t stopped when we were about half way up this trail we would’ve found ourselves in a bit of a pickle. This trail, which snakes it’s way through mountain laurel and tall grass, is essentially the path of least resistance for rain water, again, wear good boots.
As we approached the Black Mountain Crest Trail just north of Big Tom, the sky opened up, the sun started peaking through the clouds and I was able to snap the photo of Erin that dominates the top of this post. From here you just make a Left and follow the trail to the car. Almost.
In actuality from here you traverse the last (or first, I guess, depending upon your plans) miles of the Black Mountain Crest Trail, ending at Mt Mitchell. However to get there you’ll face some of the most technical terrain, and beautiful ridgeline views, of the entire trip. There are ropes to guide you up to the top of Big Tom and Mt. Craig. There are also barriers to keep you on the trail. It’s up to all of us to keep these places pristine, please understand if you plan on visiting any of the high peaks in NC or TN that these elevations provide you with a unique ecosystem. There are plants, animals, & insects along these ridgelines that aren’t seen for a thousand miles.
Obviously the view from the ridgeline, on a clear day, is amazing. Awe-inspiring, stop you in your tracks sort of beautiful vistas in every direction. Can you do this trek quicker? Of course you can, but you shouldn’t. Listen I’m a fast walker and I like to smash some mileage when hiking, but this is an area that deserves your attention and appreciation. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
No go get out there!
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