Mount Craig (North Carolina)
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| Mount Craig | |
|---|---|
 Mount Craig as viewed from the summit of Mount Mitchell. |
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| Elevation | 6,647 ft (2,026 m) |
| Location | North Carolina, USA |
| Range | Appalachian Mountains |
| Prominence | 287 ft (87 m) [1] |
| Coordinates | |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Mitchell |
| Easiest route | hike |
Mount Craig is the second highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the second highest peak in eastern North America, excluding island summits. It is located near Burnsville in Yancey County, North Carolina, in the Black Mountain subrange of the Appalachians, and about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Asheville. The mountain lies just north of the highest point in eastern North America, Mount Mitchell, which exceeds Mount Craig in elevation by only 37 feet. It is within Mount Mitchell State Park and surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest.
Mount Craig was named in honor of Locke Craig, who was governor of North Carolina from 1913 to 1917. He was responsible for establishing Mount Mitchell as North Carolina's first state park in 1915, thus protecting the area from any excessive logging. The mountain can easily be reached via the Deep Gap Trail which begins at the picnic area below the summit of Mount Mitchell off North Carolina State Highway 128...roughly a 45-minute hike. From atop Mount Craig, hikers can view much of the southern portion of the Black Mountain Range along with a look back at Mount Mitchell. A North Carolina Geodetic Survey triangulation marker is also located on the summit. The Deep Gap Trail proceeds beyond Mount Craig to other North Carolina high peaks including Big Tom, Cattail Peak, Balsam Cone, Potato Hill and through Deep Gap to Winter Star Mountain, Gibbs Mountain and Celo Knob.
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[edit] Designation dispute
Even though Mount Craig is designated as the second highest point in eastern North America, there is only a 4 foot (1 meter) difference in elevation to Clingman's Dome on the North Carolina-Tennessee border...the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains. That mountain is currently measured at 6,643 feet (2,025 meters), but it was last surveyed in 1920 by conventional means. Mount Craig was surveyed by satellite to an accuracy of 4 inches (10 centimeters) in 1993. Therefore, the difference in elevation is questionable until Clingman's Dome can be remeasured.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Peakbagger.com. World Peak Lists. Peakbagger (2007-03-27).
- Mount Mitchell State Park. Mount Craig: Credits. Retrieved Mar. 27, 2008.
- Tarheel High Points. Mount Craig: Credits. Retrieved Mar. 27, 2008.
