Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
4 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
5 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
6 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States North Carolina Burnsville Mount Mitchell

Mount Mitchell

The highest point in North Carolina and the United States east of the Mississippi River, Mount Mitchell is named after argumentative explorer Elisha Mitchell.

Burnsville, North Carolina

Added By
Thomas Harper
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Cloudy Forest View   thomasharper / Atlas Obscura User
Cloudy Forest View   thomasharper / Atlas Obscura User
Elisha Mitchell’s Tomb   KudzuVine on Wiki
Mount Mitchell in 2006   thomasharper / Atlas Obscura User
The argumentative explorer.   TarHippo of Wiki
Historical marker for Elisha Mitchell   jashton / Atlas Obscura User
Highest peak east of the Mississippi River   jessemiers / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Explorer Elisha Mitchell knew which mountain in these parts was the highest, and he was not backing down.  

Born in Connecticut and educated at Yale, Elisha Mitchell became a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1818. He would teach math, natural philosophy, and geology, as well as serve as the university's accountant, chaplain, and even acting president. He would complete several geological studies of the Black Mountains, a range of the Appalachians in the western part of the state near the Smoky Mountains. He discovered that this mountain was the highest point in the young United States at 6,684 feet above sea level, rivaling New Hampshire's Mount Washington by almost 400 feet.

However, a former student of his and Representative from Tennessee, Thomas Clingman, disagreed and claimed that the mountain known today as Mount Gibbs was even higher, immediately claiming credit for the true measurement of the highest mountain. Thus, Mitchell would return to the Black Mountains at the age of 62 to reconfirm his findings and defend his prior claim. This excursion would be his last, as he fell from the top of a waterfall and drowned in the pool below. Thereafter called Mitchell Falls, the waterfall is on private property near the park.

Elisha Mitchell's tomb is at the summit of the mountain next to a new observation platform completed in 2009. Mount Mitchell State Park also has campgrounds, a restaurant, and a gift shop and snack bar (this writer recommends the cherry cider). From the parking lot off milepost 355 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, it's a quick walk up a short paved trail to the summit. The Pisgah National Forest surrounds the mountain with dense spruce firs.

An explorer and scientist in his own right, Thomas Clingman would be the namesake of the nearby Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the Smoky Mountains and in Tennessee.

Related Tags

Dead Explorers Geographic Markers Mountains State High Points

Know Before You Go

From the Blue Ridge Parkway near milepost 355, take State Route 128 to Mount Mitchell State Park's parking lot. Take the short paved trail to the summit.

Community Contributors

Added By

thomasharper

Edited By

Rachel, jessemiers, jashton

  • Rachel
  • jessemiers
  • jashton

Published

May 21, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php
  • http://www.ncnatural.com/Resources/Adventure/Black-Mtns.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Mitchell
  • http://www.summitpost.org/mount-mitchell/150539
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisha_Mitchell
Mount Mitchell
Mount Mitchell Summit Trail
Burnsville, North Carolina, 28714
United States
35.764979, -82.265063
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Craggy Gardens Rhododendron Tunnels

Black Mountain, North Carolina

miles away

Bare Dark Sky Observatory

Burnsville, North Carolina

miles away

The Old Farmers' Ball

Swannanoa, North Carolina

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Burnsville

Burnsville

North Carolina

Places 2

Nearby Places

Craggy Gardens Rhododendron Tunnels

Black Mountain, North Carolina

miles away

Bare Dark Sky Observatory

Burnsville, North Carolina

miles away

The Old Farmers' Ball

Swannanoa, North Carolina

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Burnsville

Burnsville

North Carolina

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

The Highest Places in America

List

By Meg Neal

The Summit Scaling Subculture of Highpointing

geographic markers

By Thomas Harper

Related Places

  • Mount Denali

    Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

    Denali

    The king of U.S. high points towers over every other peak on the continent.

  • Mount Rainier

    Ashford, Washington

    Mount Rainier

    The highest point in Washington state is a volcano covered in glaciers.

  • Mount Hood

    Government Camp, Oregon

    Mount Hood

    Despite a legend that says this highest peak in Oregon was climbed in high heels, scores of people have died on its slopes.

  • Gannett Peak

    Cora, Wyoming

    Gannett Peak

    The easiest way to the highest point in Wyoming is only accessible via one hefty fee.

  • Granite Peak

    Granite Peak

    The highest point in Montana is as rugged and singular as the state itself.

  • Borah Peak

    Mackay, Idaho

    Borah Peak

    This highest peak in Idaho can only be reached by traversing a formation known as "Chicken-Out Ridge."

  • Kings Peak

    Duchesne County, Utah

    Kings Peak

    The highest peak in Utah is the hardest to reach, but only if explorers choose the hard way.

  • The left peak is Boundary Peak

    Dyer, Nevada

    Boundary Peak

    The highest point in Nevada had to be decided by court order after California tried to claim it as their own.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.