Graham County High Point Trip Report
Huckleberry Knob (5,560+ ft)
Date: March 26, 2003
Author: John Garner
Access the trailhead off the Cherohala Skyway (what an unfortunate name). This is a Blue Ridge Parkway
wanna-be crossing the Unicoi Mountains south of the Smokies. Pretty nice on the road itself - it reaches
5400 feet, and is continuously above 4500 feet for about 12 miles. To reach the road, come from either
Tellicoe Plains, TN or Robbinsville, NC; follow the signs. The access is MUCH easier from TN.
The trailhead to Huckleberry is near milepost 8
(the mileposts measure the distance from the NC/TN state line).
The trailhead is at a parking area on the north side of the parkway,
but the only sign on the road itself is a hiking trail sign.
At the parking area itself, there is a sign announcing the Huckleberry Trail and the
starting elevation (5300 feet). To orient yourself on the road,
this parking area is just east of the signed trail to Hooper Bald.
The trail is very straightforward and easy; it follows a fire road all the way to the top,
crossing another bald in the process.
Nice views from the top of the bald. Interestingly, there is a grave of a guy who died in 1899 on the summit.
If you read the plaque, he and a friend got lost in a storm while drunk, and died of hypothermia.
The grave is a real monument to stupidity.
Trip statistics: 1.6 miles round trip, 275 feet of gain; easy.