North Carolina, USA

Mt. Mitchell

Trip Guide & 3D Map

Appalachian Mountains · Difficulty, season, and access — then explore the 3D terrain

Planning snapshot

Mt. Mitchell is a 6,684 ft summit in the Appalachian Mountains (USA). PeakAtlas rates it day hike (Class 1 hike); best season is May–Oct. No special summit permit. Typical staging is Burnsville (15 mi). PeakAtlas lists 3 OpenStreetMap lodging pins near the summit — coverage is often thinner outside well-mapped regions. Use the 3D map and trip checklist before you go.

Elevation
6,684 ft
Prominence
6,089 ft
Difficulty tier
Day hike
Best season
May–Oct
Permits
No special summit permit
Staging
Burnsville · 15 mi
Mapped lodging
3 OSM places
Listed trails
2

As of 2026-07-31 · Figures come from the PeakAtlas3D catalog: surveyed elevations and prominence, curated difficulty tiers, best-season windows, permit notes, staging-town distances, trail lists, and OpenStreetMap lodging near each summit. Not live weather, quotas, or prices.

How hard is Mt. Mitchell, and what do you need before you go?

Mt. Mitchell is listed as Class 1 hike with a best season of May–Oct. Use the difficulty, permit, and staging details below before you commit to a date.

Difficulty
Class 1 hike
Best season
May–Oct
Access / staging
Burnsville, North Carolina

How tall is Mt. Mitchell, and where is it?

Elevation
6,684 ft
Prominence
6,089 ft
Mountain range
Appalachian Mountains
Difficulty
Class 1 hike

What makes Mt. Mitchell notable?

Highest peak east of the Mississippi in the U.S.

The highest peak east of the Mississippi, a forested Appalachian summit in North Carolina.

After you check trip readiness for Mt. Mitchell, explore the summit on PeakAtlas3D’s interactive 3D topographic map in the Appalachian Mountains, North Carolina, USA.

Closest places

  • Burnsville — North Carolina via NC-128

Notable trails & routes

  • Mount Mitchell Trail
  • Balsam Nature Trail