Winter is a great season for outdoor activities due to the colder weather, but is it still great high in the western North Carolina mountains?
If you know me, you know I love winter for hiking and camping. I just can’t get enough of it! The cold weather keeps me from sweating, the views between barren tree branches are vast, and the waterfalls are flowing. But that’s how I feel about winter here in Chattanooga. What about winter in North Carolina? Keep reading to find out how camping and hiking during winter in North Carolina’s much higher elevation fairs.
The Elevation Change of North Carolina’s Western Mountains
It’s important to note that Chattanooga’s tallest mountains sit roughly at only 2,000 feet above sea level. Now that may seem like a good amount, and it is, but when compared to the Blue Ridge Mountain range that spans into western North Carolina, this is nothing.
The Blue Ridge Parkway runs from North Carolina and into Virginia. During which it climbs some of the tallest mountains in the eastern United States. In fact, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River is along the parkway drive. Mount Mitchell stands at a whopping 6,684 feet above sea level. Compared to the western Rocky Mountains, this is nothing. But, compared to Chattanooga, this is huge. With many mountains along the parkway exceeding 4,000 and 5,000 feet in height, the North Carolina mountains make Chattanooga’s slice of the Cumberland Plateau look small.
Winter Camping in North Carolina
This is a challenge. I say this because it took me a while to even find a campground that was open during this off-season. Summer is their biggest season with many campgrounds fully booked. Most places close down in the fall and reopen during the next spring. However, there are still some North Carolina winter camping options available.
Most places are going to be in the valley at lower elevation. This keeps the potential for snow and ice at bay. Although my friend wanted to try camping near snow, I knew that would require extra gear and preparation that I am not yet ready for. Instead, I found a campground near Waynesville, NC.
Although we didn’t have the best experience (mainly due to weather) it was still a nice spot. We were the only crazy people tent-camping in the heart of winter here. And the tent sites back up to a large creek that divides the campground from the farmlands that sprawl behind it. Just beyond that, the neighboring mountains encircle the area creating a postcard picture moment. The scenery from these campsites is some of the best I’ve ever seen at a campground. But this campground did have its downsides which I’ll share about next week with our second day recap.
Hiking Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Winter
We started our trip out with a hike right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Ironically, I chose a hike directly across the street from our first hike on the last trip we took this way. Thankfully, our experience was better this time, thanks to no heavy thunderstorms. If you missed that trip, you can read all about our time and binge the videos in the five-part series.
We had no issues parking and finding the trailhead for the hike I had chosen for us, Blackrock Mountain. However, it was a little tricky. Basically you park in parking area for Browning Knob Overlook. This is located first on the driveway up to the Waterrock Knob parking lot. From here, you have to backtrack on foot, cross the Blue Ridge Parkway, and find the cut-through in the trees a little to the left. There’s no signs but the opening is obvious amongst the evergreen trees.
Round trip, this is a strenuous 5 mile hike. Even though you’re basically on top of a mountain already, two taller mountains lie ahead of you. With the ups and downs, the hike overall has a 1,500 foot elevation change. And that includes some steep sections of trail. I’ll also add that this hike is not for beginners. If you struggle with navigation, you may not want to venture out on this one. The trail is not marked well and this is the first time I’ve encountered a trail like this. On top of there only being a few trail blazes (in yellow and purple), there’s multiple trails! I’m not sure if people have gotten lost so many times here that they’ve blazed new trails or what. But there were a few times that we got confused and wondered if we were on the correct trail or not. All in all, the hike is beautiful and definitely worth the struggle, but be mindful of the potential dangers with this Blackrock Mountain hike.
Winter Closures in North Carolina
Apart from most campgrounds being closed, sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway close as well. Fortunately for us, we didn’t have any trouble getting on the parkway at the US-19 on ramp at Soco Gap and making it to our first hike at Blackrock Mountain. However, the next day we ran into some closures and something else that’s dangerous. You’ll have to check back next week for more details on this as I cover day 2 of our adventures of camping and hiking during winter in North Carolina. Be sure to sign up for the Exploring Chatt Club if you haven’t already so you don’t miss a thing. Plus, you’ll get access to free goodies and discounts on upcoming products as well!
In Closing
Overall, I would say winter hiking in the higher elevations of North Carolina is just as great as winter hiking in lower elevation Chattanooga. Yes, it’s a little colder, but it’s bearable if you time it right. Lucky for us, it was a warmer week when we went. So, despite the rain while we camped and some drizzles while we hiked, we had good temperatures for January. Camping and hiking during winter in North Carolina can be challenging. But you can still have a wonderful experience if you plan and prepare well.
This is just the beginning of a crazy adventure camping and hiking in the western North Carolina mountains in January. Follow along with the video progression of these eventful happenings on YouTube.
Comment down below if you’ve ever visited North Carolina in the winter months and what your experience was like. I’d love to know! Until next time, enjoy exploring Chatt!
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