Beautiful Drive To Top of Mount Mitchell - From Blue Ridge Parkway

Here's the complete drive from the Blue Ridge Parkway to the top of Mount Mitchell in Western North Carolina. The altitude at the parking lot is about a hundred feet shy of the 6684 summit. I had 3 GoPro Hero3 Black Editions mounted to my windshield and I try to provide nice side shots as well as straight on.

[@apower912]

I drove it summer 2005. Unforgettable!!! I got concerned after observing more and more sky and less and less land with not a layby in sight. Okay, I was MORE than concerned. I looked neither left nor right, and miraculously made it to the top of Mt. Mitchell. Never again!!! ☺😄

[@done611]

I did this drive when I was single. It was a wonderful experience. Thanks for sharing.

[@jill5875]

Gorgeous ❣️❣️❣️. That's where half my family is from...Blue Ridge Parkway (Smokey Mountains). Dad was bo n in Mitchell County, brings back my summers as a child♥️♥️♥️

[@paulhale929]

Thank you from Maine. So beautiful.

[@davidvance7059]

Nice I rode that ride also rode to mt Washington to both are good rides

[@jonathansefcik473]

I'd like to visit this mountain someday. People don't normally think of the eastern US having such high peaks. I love driving so high up you see the biome change from temperature deciduous forests to boreal pines. If it were like 3000' higher I'm sure there'd be alpine tundra as well. As many others have mentioned, Mt Washington is like that. Not quite as tall, but more extreme in pretty much every other regard; steepness, climate, brown pants factor, etc.

[@watertakken]

Looks much safer than Mt Washington. All paved road with railings.

[@bauxwood]

This is gorgeous area, I went here and got vertigo, FREAKED OUT!!! but had so much fun AFTER I GOT OUT OF THE CAR !!!!

[@epistte]

Looking out the car window over the edge can be spooky.

[@waynejohnson1304]

It's a beautiful trip but, lacks the nailbiting terror that beholds the people who travel up the Mt. Washington Auto Road in Gorham, New Hampshire. On the Mt. Washington Auto Road, many refuse to drive to the top and instead turn around. Those who continue have been known to freeze and wait for the officials to help them. If you have ever seen the movie entitled: The Long, Long Trailer with Lucille Ball, that is what we are talking about regarding Mount Washington. There are 5,000-foot drops 3 feet from the passenger side door with no guard rails. You must do the entire trip up and down in 1st gear because of the steepness of the road. Some parts are 35% grades.

[@tonyleeglenn]

I've never had a chance to do the Mt. Washington drive. I'll get up there some day. Many people have told me it's a must in the northeast.

[@mr.minebloxdaylighttwinkle442]

4:06 that’s the toll road right there where the railroad tracks where and goes straight to black mountain

[@silentvega2004]

Looks much safer than Mt Washington Auto road. However, Mt Washington is a very rugged rocky mountain, plus the weather, I see why it's harder to make the Rd, but no railings is what had me messed up. But we made it up safe, the views are just, absolutely amazing. I have a video of it for those who don't know what it looks like. I definitely wanna do Mt Mitchell one day

[@pyontasansan]

Tony, we are headed down in Mid--May. I noticed you posted this on June 3rd, did you visit in May as well? Looks great!

[@tonyleeglenn]

Hey Tim. May should be pretty nice, but I've been up there in the snow in late June before. It's hit or miss. Maybe global warming will help - ha!

[@ivi122]

We drove up to MT Washington in NH 3 times and for some reason the 3rd time my husband and I both freaked out. The roads seem so narrow now, no railings to stop you from driving off the mountain not even tress on the edge for 1/2 of the drive. Every time a car would drive on the other lane we had to pullover to give them the right of way and we would get so close to the edge...not fun. Scary. Speed limit was about 20 and I would tell him slow down when he was going 15 lol. This one doesn't seem too scary. Are the roads wide and are there railings or trees on the side of the road?

[@MartinInAmsterdam]

I drove a Mustang up there and you're right about the roads being really narrow.

[@ivi122]

Martin Adams see! I’m not exaggerating, right? It’s scary to me and I don’t ever want to go up there again, 3 times is enough lol

[@fairday2]

Ever been to Clingmans Dome at the corner of NC, Va, and Tn?

[@apower912]

Yes, I've been to Clingman's. Pretty impressive.

[@gcharocks]

Clingmans Dome isn't near VA

[@franklinrwful]

Only in America could you drive to the top of a mountain lol.

[@tonyleeglenn]

My dad said they used to have a railway system that came close to the summit! This blows my mind because it's super rugged. I guess it was used to transport timber. The reason there's a road to the top is that there's a key weather station up there used by NWS. It's the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River. Thanks for watching! TLG

[@mr.minebloxdaylighttwinkle442]

@@tonyleeglenn and I found the toll road too of where the tracks used to be when I was up there

[@waynesigmon5628]

I've been going there for 40 some years what a beautiful place it is I just hope we don't destroy the view one day with all these house developments that's one thing I don't like

[@fairday2]

I grew up int the NC appalachians, and I hope that doesn't happen. Virginia has houses right on the parkway. We can't enjoy nature if houses are right there.:(

[@waynesigmon5628]

@@fairday2 what county in North Carolina grew up in I'll live about 20 minutes 25 minutes from the Brushy Mountain

[@fairday2]

@@waynesigmon5628 I grew up in Transylvania county, but went to college in Jackson Co.

[@waynesigmon5628]

@@fairday2 it's been a long time since I've been to Transylvania County I think that's off 64 if I'm not mistaken I live Iredell County I have 10 acres in Wilkes County I live about a mile from the Catawba River if you know where that's at my father was from Alexander County I live about 30 miles from Wilkesboro

[@fairday2]

@@waynesigmon5628 It is nice to meet another tarheel. I have been to Iredell county and Wilkes county when we went on a band tour. and did a performance at Warren Wilson College. Now, the east coast is a mystery to me, as we went to Kure beach for vacation until it got too expensive. I moved to SC to teach for 29 years in very poor rural counties. It was hard work, but I survived where many didn't. I taught kids where their parents were my former students,and they knew that I would go to their house after school. They still stay in touch with me for the most part. One actually made it to the NFL and they won the Superbowl last year. He was into football even in middle school, and I let him use football themes for all of his assignments. I really miss the mountains and seeing over the state lines. I never got tired of it.

[@robbypendergraft1986]

My ears are popping watching this video

[@peaceandlove5214]

wow I want to live there

[@JoeFriday123]

Me to

[@baalkahaniya98]

Me too

[@boildpeanuts]

Hop stopido ...... ---Now pull my finger!!!

[@franklinrwful]

There seemed to be a lot of dead trees up towards the top when we went.

[@AnthropoidOne]

Fraser Fir...been going on since the 1950's. Balsam Woolly Adelgid.

[@franklinrwful]

Donnoha Is that some kind of disease? I was wondering if it was to do with acid rain (which was in the news a lot at the time).

[@tonyleeglenn]

Richard Franklin The wolly adelgid is a parasite that kills certain trees - mostly hemlock. The dead trees are in some cases the adelgid AND acid rain. My dad lives about 15 miles from Mt. Mitchell and the bugs have killed almost all of his hemlocks too.

[@AnthropoidOne]

Tony Lee Glenn Two bugs.......Hemlock Woolly and Balsam Woolly. Nearly every hemlock has been wiped out from Alabama to southern New England and it is still spreading north and west. Last I heard it was getting into Ohio maybe...not sure But the Fraser Fir is endemic to the southern Appalachians. There are plenty of YOUNG trees that the bugs haven't attacked yet so maybe they won't become extinct. You can get some stuff at the hardware to mix with water ...just pour it around the tree and youre done. Super easy

[@MidwestMaverick]

+Donnoha and pollutants coming from as far away as the Midwest