Black Mountain Crest Trail

Black Mountain Crest Trail is a point-to-point, strenuous ridgeline hike in western North Carolina that links Bowlens Creek with the summit area of Mt. Mitchell. It’s widely run as a one-day “shuttle” hike, finishing at Mt. Mitchell (and typically requiring a car shuttle or two-car logistics).

Expect a long, steep, high-elevation grind along the crest with repeated elevation swings and extended exposure on top. The route has a reputation for requiring rock scrambling in places and, in steeper sections, rope-assisted climbing where fixed lines are present.

Total length for the trail itself is about 12 miles, with roughly 3,485 feet of elevation change and an average hiking time around 10 hours plus for a one-way run. Plan on a slow pace: sustained effort and tough footing mean you’ll spend more time on the ridgeline than the mileage suggests.

Trail character changes along the line: the ridge generally stays above 6,000 feet, with a major descent to Deep Gap before you continue back up toward the Mt. Mitchell end. The mid-to-northern portion carries most of the “difficult” reputation, including sections described as needing scrambling and occasional reroutes around the more treacherous spots.

Several high points along the crest are commonly encountered as part of the route’s 6,000+ foot peak-bagging feel, including Mt. Craig, Big Tom, Balsam Cone, Cattail Peak area high points (including a false summit reference), Potato Hill, Gibbs Mountain area, and Celo Knob before the Mt. Mitchell summit end.

Water and camping are limited compared with typical day hikes. Limited water is available near the Deep Gap area, and camping is possible near Deep Gap (with camping restrictions inside Mt. Mitchell State Park described for this route corridor).

Management details matter for access and trailheads: the north end is accessed via a Watershed Road trailhead area near the Bowlens Creek side with limited parking, while the southern end is within Mt. Mitchell State Park (using the Deep Gap Trail name inside the park). The trail is blazed and managed such that parts inside the state park are maintained by park crews, while the outside ridge segment is maintained by local trail efforts.

More information: Visitor information, Black Mountain Crest Trail - TEHCC Wiki, Black Mountain Crest Trail to Mt. Mitchell - Burnsville, NC