Mount Mitchell is the tallest mountain in North Carolina with 6,684 feet above sea level.

The History

Mt. Mitchell was originally called Black Domein. It's name got changed after Dr. Elisha Mitchell climbed the mountain in 1857. Dr. Elisha died when he fell off the Mitchell Falls, a forty foot waterfall, while measuring the height of the mountain. After Mitchell died, his calculations of the mountain height were changed by his student, Thomas Clingman. Mt. Mitchell became a state park after it was bought by North Carolina in 1915.

Location

Mt. Mitchell State Park is located in Yancey County, about 33 miles north of Asheville. From Asheville, take the Blue Ridge Parkway north until you see the mile marker #355. Turn left onto NC128 and you will get to the park.

Ecological Information

At above 6,000 feet, Mt. Mitchell is dominated by red spruce and Fraser fir. The slopes below 5,000 feet are populated with hardwood forests, including majestic stands of American chestnut, oaks, and hickories. Rhododendron thickets cloak forest streams along the valleys and mountainsides of the Appalachian mountains.

There are around 91 bird species recorded in the park. Those birds bear characteristic of New England and Canada, such as winter wrens, slate-colored juncos, red crossbills, and golden-crowned kinglets. Ruffed grouse comes during spring and summer. Peregrine falcons can often been seen from the visitor observation tower atop Mount Mitchell.

If you are lucky, you might get a glimpse of a northern flying squirrel or hear the voice of the saw-whet owl. White-tailed deer, black bear, and stripped skunk are here as well. You might also see bobcat or gray fox at night.

Activities

• Camping
• Education and events
• Exhibit hall
• Hiking
• Horseback riding
• Picnicking

For more information, please check out

Mount Mitchell State Park 

Elisha Mitchell and the Black Mountains of North Carolina