Mount Mitchell, Roaring Fork Falls, and Setrock Creek Falls
June 6, 2020
The next day we set out for Mount Mitchell State Park. It was a nice drive with many great views on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We didn't anticipate having to pass so many cyclists on the way but I suppose it's a great workout for them to ride up the mountain. We didn't want to wait too late in the day to get to this park either and have it be too crowded but we ended up getting to the top while it was still foggy. We still enjoyed seeing the summit (via the paved 0.3 mile path) and the temperatures were in the 60s, probably 20 degrees lower than the rest of the area. It's interesting that the weather is so different on Mount Mitchell that there is a different ecosystem than the rest of NC. Many trees at this elevation are spruce fir. After viewing the summit, we went on the Balsam Nature Trail. This was a nice, level hike that gave us a good view of the plants and trees, and even the start of a spring that was used by the first explorers in the area.
A view from the Blue Ridge Parkway
Next we headed to nearby Roaring Fork Falls. We ate our lunch in a not-so-scenic parking lot then headed on the 1.4 mile out and back trail. It was pretty flat and wide and before we knew it we were at the falls. We enjoyed it!
Our last stop of the day was Setrock Creek Falls. Chris and I had been here once a long time ago and it is interesting in that the trailhead is in Black Mountain Campground. This trail is 1.1 miles out and back and is also pretty flat. We let the kids splash in the water here and had a good time.
We drove back to the house through Marion, which has a nice downtown area. We found a hot dog place for dinner and then had a campfire with dutch oven cobbler!
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