Max Patch
Hot Springs, NC · Western North CarolinaFree
Max Patch is a grassy bald at 4,629 feet where the Appalachian Trail crosses an open summit with nothing between you and the sky. Cleared for cattle grazing in the 1800s and…

Photo: Thomson200 / CC0 1.0
Mount Pisgah's pyramid rises straight off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 408, its summit pinned by a broadcast tower you can spot from miles down the road. The 1.3-mile trail to the top climbs hard and rocky through the last stretch, then opens onto an observation deck where Cold Mountain, the Shining Rock Wilderness, and the haze-blue ridges toward the Smokies all line up at once. Down at the gap, the Pisgah Inn serves dinner with the same long view, and the campground makes it easy to stay for sunrise.
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