Parking
Park in the Mount Mitchell State Park summit-area lot and follow signs toward the Deep Gap Trail access near the picnic area. Confirm Blue Ridge Parkway and park access before driving, especially in winter.
Overview
About Deep Gap Trail (Mount Mitchell)
Why go
- High-elevation spruce–fir ridge with views across the Black Mountains
- Accesses Mount Craig and a chain of rugged crest summits
Heads up
- Steep rocky climbs, scrambles, and fixed-rope-assisted descents
- Weather, fog, ice, and Blue Ridge Parkway closures can change the outing quickly
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Ridge Parkway map
Full mapElevation5,945–6,572 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
2 active Blue Ridge Parkway alerts
- ClosureNorth Carolina Helene-related closuresAvoid the closed Parkway section from MP 344.2–355.3; recreation of any kind is prohibited there.Official details
- ClosureVirginia Parkway closures and detourFollow the signed detour around the closed James River Bridge and avoid the closed Roanoke Mountain Loop. - James River Bridge (MP 63.5–63.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to Deep Gap Trail (Mount Mitchell), narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Blue Ridge Parkway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Blue Ridge Parkway audio tourMore stories near here in the app
- Ridge Junction Overlook and Its Close-Up View
- View Mount Mitchell Overlook: The Parkway's Best Quick Peek
- Green Knob Overlook and a Hidden Fire Tower Hike
- Walker Knob Overlook and the Big Butt Trail
- 277 audio storiesacross Blue Ridge Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Elk, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 112 trails, 232 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…We knew we wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. The narration was impeccably timed. The facts and info provided were meaningful. Without it, the trip would not have been near as awesome.”
Trail guide
Hiking Deep Gap Trail (Mount Mitchell)
The routeDeep Gap Trail follows the Black Mountain Crest north from the Mount Mitchell State Park summit…
Deep Gap Trail follows the Black Mountain Crest north from the Mount Mitchell State Park summit area to Deep Gap, with a rugged high-elevation traverse over Mount Craig, Big Tom, Balsam Cone, Cattail Peak, and Potato Hill. The stored line runs from the summit-area trailhead to the Deep Gap turnaround; plan this as an out-and-back.
Distance and effortThe mapped corridor is about 3.57 miles one way, while the visitor hike is about 7.
The mapped corridor is about 3.57 miles one way, while the visitor hike is about 7.2 miles round trip. Allow roughly 5–6 hours for the full outing, including steep climbs, descents, rocky footing, and pauses for views. The ridge repeatedly rises and falls, so cumulative effort is greater than the distance alone suggests.
Trail characterExpect a strenuous, demanding mountain route through spruce–fir forest and exposed rocky…
Expect a strenuous, demanding mountain route through spruce–fir forest and exposed rocky ridgeline, with broad views across the Black Mountains. Sections beyond Mount Craig can involve scrambling and fixed-rope-assisted descents; wet, icy, windy, or foggy conditions make the route significantly harder. The trail is not wheelchair accessible. Dogs are allowed only on leash.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Blue Ridge Parkway
1,208 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,020 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
2,257 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
200 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,126 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
255 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Blue Ridge Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
