Say hello to 15+ hours of daylight, refreshing mountain streams, and endless miles of green tunnel. That’s right. It’s summer in the Appalachians which means hiking season is in full swing. While summer on the AT can be one of the best times of year, certain parts of the trail are better than others to hike during the warmer months.

With 2,200 miles of trail, it can be hard to sort through each state’s weather patterns and find the perfect conditions for your summer backpacking trip. To help, we’ve pinpointed the sections of the AT with the most ideal conditions and must-see sites during the summer months.

The list includes places to help you avoid humidity, extreme heat, and dry water sources, as well as make sure you see some of the best known summer sites along the trail. Lace up your boots (or trail runners) and get inspired for your next summer adventure with the best places to hike on the Appalachian Trail this summer.

Roan Mountain is the only section of trail featured on this list that isn’t in New England. Usually humidity, dry water sources, and intense heat lead hikers to more northern sections during the summer, but there is something that Roan Mountain has that New England states don’t: Rhododendrons.

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The public is invited to visit the Roan Mountain community in Carter County, Tennessee for the debut of a new festival on Saturday, May 6, 2017 at 10 a.m. designed to celebrate the mountain town’s relationship with the Appalachian Trail and its enthusiasts.

“This is a celebration of several community events in Roan Mountain,” a trail ambassador said. “It’s to celebrate Roan Mountain being designated as the 41st Appalachian Trail Community [as well as] the opening of the Roan Mountain Farmers Market and the dedication of the new stage at the Roan Mountain Community Park.”

“Unicoi County, Tennessee, was designated an Appalachian Trail Community several years ago, and there are two other AT Communities just north of us in Virginia,” he said. “Abingdon and Damascus in Virginia are official Appalachian Trail Communities, and we look forward to working closely with all the AT Communities in our area.”

The festival and the new designation of Roan Mountain as an official AT Community should bring tangible benefits to the mountain town.

“Being designated an official AT Community not only gives Roan Mountain the recognition that it deserves, but now Roan Mountain has the opportunity to be a major player in terms of preservation, outreach and education on the Appalachian Trail,” Chambers said. “As an official Appalachian Trail Community, Roan Mountain can now also create a true partnership between the community, Appalachian Trail maintainers and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.”

For more information, find Roan Mountain AT Community on Facebook. For more information about the AT Community program, visit www.appalachiantrail.org/atcommunity. More information about the town of Roan Mountain can be found online at www.roanmountain.com. You can email AT Community Ambassador Jim Chambers at [email protected].

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The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy recently acquired 48 acres in the Roan Highlands near the Carter County border in North Carolina that was slated for development.

The Broad Branch Tract is less than 2 miles from the Appalachian Trail and the Cloudland Rhododendron Gardens. The tract adjoins Pisgah National Forest and contains a broad mix of habitat. The Conservancy plans to own and manage the property for long-term forest health and water quality.

“This tract shares a nearly one-half mile boundary with Pisgah National Forest,” said Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. “It certainly earns the description of ‘highlands,’ with elevations exceeding 4,500 feet where it joins the National Forest.”

Located within the North Carolina-designated Roan Mountain Massif Natural Area, the tract is forested with mature trees and potential habitat for rare plant and animal species. Approximately 75% of the property falls within the Roan Mountain Important Bird Area (IBA), as designated by the National Audubon Society.

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When the Southern Appalachians are your home, the month of June simply isn’t complete without a visit to Roan Highlands for the annual rhododendron and azalea bloom. Like Julie Andrews sang years ago, “these are a few of my favorite things.” From the first time I set foot on Round Bald, I knew this was someplace special. The grassy ridge of the Highlands bald mountain tops runs for 14 miles, the longest stretch of unobstructed vistas on the entire Appalachian Trail. Add to that the brilliant colors of the flowers, and you will understand why this is a must see destination.

I have already written a trail report for Grassy Ridge in the Highlands. To learn how to get there, and where to hike, you can get all the details here. Rather than repeating the report, I wanted to share my photographic experiences from the most recent foray across the balds. This visit occurred on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

I arrived approximately 7:45 AM to bright, glorious sunshine. It became apparent almost immediately that the catawba rhododendron blossoms were already gone. The Spring bloom season is fickle. Two years ago I visited Roan on June 19th, and was probably two days early for the peak bloom. This year June 17th was about four days too late. Not to worry though, the flaming azaleas were still out in abundance; and I found the elusive Grays Lily, the rare mountain perennial.

I hope you enjoy these recent photos from Roan Highlands. Feel free to leave your comments below the gallery.

The morning sun was just peaking over Round Bald when I arrived. It brought with it a summer breeze that added a wispiness to the native grass.

I’ve been to Roan Highlands for the June flowering three times now. This was my first Grays Lily. I was treated to another before the day was through.

I arrived on Grassy Ridge Bald about 10:00 AM, as did the clouds, first white, then grey.

Updated October 6, 2015: Autumn must mean it’s time for another visit to the Highlands, chasing the ever-illusive colors of the new season. Timing the Roan Highlands fall foliage chroma display is a fool’s-errand. It is never the same two years in a row. I started with a visit on September 28th, only to find a mountain covered in fog so thick that I was breathing moisture. Oh well, there’s always the exercise, I told my disappointed self.

Following a week of torrential downpour over the Southern Appalachians, it finally cleared on Monday, October 5th, so I was there ready and able the next morning. This time the weather totally cooperated. As you will see in the photos below, the sky was magnificent and the clear air enabled long distance viewing that extended well into Tennessee and maybe even beyond to Virginia. The coloring was a mixed bag of earth tones, some past peak, others yet to fully impress. Regardless, it was quite a distinction from my last spring-time visit in June.

I love the earthy tones color spectrum that Fall brings to the mountains.

Updated January 6, 2017: It seemed only natural to add a winter gallery of Roan Highlands. With that in mind, Ken and I set out in search of the white stuff. We didn’t find snow, but what we did find was a wonderland of rime ice, hoar frost, and frozen fog. The only downer was the thick clouds that had settled on the Highlands making long distance viewing impossible. Still, focusing at ground level revealed a world of ice at 6,000 feet.

The climb up Jane Bald was particularly rewarding. The alderberry, rhododendron, and azalea bushes were all covered with a thick coating of rime ice.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Hikers should assemble on the Burnsville, NC Town Square at 8:30 a.m. Transportation will be provided by a Yancey County van for a fee of $5 per person. Leashed dogs are welcome on the hike but are not allowed on the county vans, so if you plan to bring your pet you must arrange your own transportation.

The hike will start at Carver’s Gap and ascend 700 feet to the top of Roan Mountain, where you will stop by the highest shelter on the Appalachian Trail. The group will then descend steeply 2,275 feet to Hughes Gap, the ending point. This will be tough on the knees, so bring your hiking poles if you have them. Also bring lunch, snacks, plenty of water, warm clothes and rain gear.

The van should return the group to the Burnsville Town Square around 4 p.m.

Hikers should check the High Peaks website, www.nchighpeaks.org, or the club’s Facebook page for last-minute changes due to weather. For more information, contact hike leader Dennis Smith at [email protected] or 828-675-9459.

Northeast of Mars Hill, NC, the Big Bald Range straddles the Tennesssee/North Carolina border and marks the boundary between Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests. The Appalachian Trail (AT) follows the state line, as it does for nearly all its length between these two states. The destination for this hike is 5,516 foot Big Bald Mountain, another of the grassy balds that are common in this area. You can make your day as long or as short as you like by exploring the AT in either direction. At least be sure to also check out Big Stamp, another of the balds with a lengthy grassy ridge. This hike occurred on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 from 8:45am to 11:35am. Our plan was to take the Appalachian Trail over Big Stamp and Big Bald, and hike the AT for an hour or so.

If it’s a long section hike on the Appalachian Trail you’re looking for, you can access Big Bald Mountain from Sams Gap — where I-26 crosses the North Carolina/Tennessee state line. It’s a 13-mile round trip from there. From the northeast, you can also access the AT from Highway 19W, but the distance is about double.

The best way to get to Big Bald and Big Stamp is through the Wolf Laurel Resort community. From there, it’s little more than half a mile to the Big Bald summit. There’s just one hitch, though. Wolf Laurel is private property, with an entrance gate monitored by a security guard. So, you need to make arrangements with the resort’s administrative office before you go. Otherwise, you will be turned back at the gate.

Provided you’ve done your homework, once you clear security, you’ll drive through the Wolf Laurel community that includes a ski mountain and a country club. Follow Wolf Laurel Rd. to Big Bald Mountain Rd., then go all the way to the dead end. Park at the cul-de-sac and begin your hike through the gate on the gravel road. From there it is 1/4 mile to the Appalachian Trail.

For Meanderthals, this was another foray to the state line on the AT. It seems we’ve done quite a bit of exploring on the high mountain balds this summer, including Unaka Mountain earlier this month, and Roan Highlands during peak flowering season last month. Speaking of wildflowers, there was still quite a bit of bee balm blooming in this Big Bald area, of multiple colors.

Where the Appalachian Trail crosses the gravel road you have a choice. You can go left and immediately climb Big Bald, or you can go right and climb Big Stamp. We chose the latter. The sun was still low in the sky, so there was a delightful golden glow on the waist-high native grass that lined the trail. About once a month, trail angels come to the grassy balds with lawnmowers and string trimmers to keep an 8-foot-wide swath cropped, and easy to follow.

It was early enough that the morning fog was still hanging around — quite the sight watching it waft over and around the balds. Since long-distance viewing was muted by the fog, we decided to explore eastward on the trail, and come back to the balds later, once the fog had lifted. We encountered another pair of hikers, coming down from Big Stamp.

The morning dew tickled our legs as we crossed Big Stamp bald and entered the forest. The trail began a gradual descent, heading to the next gap between ridges. The forest here is primarily birch and beech. There was still mud on the trail from all the rains of July. This has been an incredibly rainy season in the Smoky Mountains with more than a foot of precipitation above the annual norms. At least there were no creek crossings today.

One thing the mud does is enable clear imprints of wildlife tracks. The unmistakable cloven hooves of deer were quite evident, as was the impression of a juvenile black bear. This area would also be a haven for wild turkey, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.

Half a mile into the forest we passed the spur trail to the AT Big Bald Mountain Shelter, and another quarter mile beyond that we came to a water source for the thru-hikers. If you plan on spending a few days in the Big Bald Range, keep these in mind.

We went just five minutes past the spring, decided not much was changing in the way of scenery, so we opted to reverse track and see if the fog had lifted around the balds. Sure enough, when we popped back out of the woods on the eastern end of Big Stamp, the low-lying fog had given way to that vaporous haze that gives the Smoky Mountains their name.

The AT takes a twisty path up the northeastern flank of Big Bald Mountain, cutting its way through shoulder-height berry bushes and other ubiquitous scrub. The trail itself is well maintained, albeit somewhat rocky. We didn’t encounter any areas of overgrowth on our climb to the summit.

It’s about a half mile from the gap between Big Stamp and Big Bald to the summit, climbing just under 600 feet along the way. It isn’t particularly difficult, so you should give this one a try, no matter your fitness level. The panoramic views from the top are definitely worth the exertion to get there.

We found a nice rocky outcropping on the east side of the summit for lunch, with a great view of Big Stamp and the surrounding Smoky Mountains. That’s the photo at the top of this post. Click it for a larger view. From here we could pick out Unaka Mountain to the northeast, with the town of Erwin below. The Tennessee tri-cities area is way off in the distance northward, and Roan Mountain is quite evident beyond and east of Unaka.

To the southeast are the imposing Black Mountains, including Mt. Mitchell. Despite the haze, the vistas were pretty good on this day. I suspect in winter you can probably see for 50 miles or more from Big Bald. I will keep this one in my tickler file for a December or January hike.

The Wolf Laurel community is perched on the hillsides to the southwest. Homes hug the rugged terrain. The ski mountain stands above the small village. I’ve never been skiing, so I can’t offer any info about conditions here. There look to be five primary slopes.

To the north and west is Tennessee, with more mountains as far as the eye can see. As you would surmise from the name, the rounded summit of Big Bald is quite large, covering perhaps a hundred acres. While we were enjoying lunch, an elderly couple joined us on the summit. Probably near 80, they made the climb with no problem. So see, you can do it.

The Big Bald Mountain gravel road comes all the way to the summit, so we decided to go back down that way. The road takes more of a northerly track off the mountain, whereas the AT is easterly. They both eventually end up at the same place, in the gap between Big Stamp and Big Bald.

To summarize, Big Bald is a great spot for those 360° panoramic views that are so photo friendly. You really get an idea of the beauty of the surrounding Smoky Mountains in every direction. If you only have a short amount of time, this is a quick hike to the summit of Big Bald. If you wish to make a day of it, take the Appalachian Trail in either direction for as far as you want to explore. Remember that Wolf Laurel is a private community, so if you access Big Bald through there, you must call ahead.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Located along the North Carolina/Tennessee state line, and where Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests merge, Grassy Ridge in the Roan Highlands is the longest stretch of grassy balds in the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Trail navigates this stunning ridge, hopping from Carvers Gap to Round Bald to Jane Bald, and on to the 6,169 foot Grassy Ridge Bald. The Highlands are a haven for wildlife, and mountain bushes like rhododendron, flame azalea, and green alder. Rare flowers are found here as well, including species such as spreading avens, Blue Ridge goldenrod, Gray’s lily and mountain bluet. There are clear views of Grandfather Mountain and the peaks of Linville Gorge to the east, and Mt. Mitchell and the Black Mountains to the south. In short, the Roan Highlands area is a must see. This hike occurred on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 from 8:30am to 1:15pm. My plan was to follow the Appalachian Trail from Carvers Gap across the three balds of Grassy Ridge, then explore more of Roan Mountain as time, and weather, permitted.

This is a hike I’ve wanted to do for quite some time, but just never seemed to get it together. It’s in a very remote area, and a long way from my home (about two hours), so I always seemed to talk myself out of it for regions with easier access. The time factor seems silly because I’ve made the effort to go to other wild places that were at least as far. Well, now that I’ve finally been, it’s not so tough to get there after all, and I’ve truly been depriving myself of one of Western North Carolina’s most remarkable gems.

When I arrived at Carvers Gap on the North Carolina/Tennessee state line just past 8:00 AM, there were already a couple dozen people milling about the parking area, and much to my surprise, the parking along the highway was already full. Well, I thought, I guess that’s what you get at peak rhododendron season. I would learn later that something else was up. Eventually I discovered there’s a whole other parking lot off the main highway, and all was good.

About that parking though, there seems to be about 60-70 spaces, but it’s a good idea to get there early in the morning, especially during busy visitor seasons like June and October. When I finished my hike just past 1:00 in the afternoon, the parking was crammed and Carvers Gap was a trafficky mess.

I couldn’t quite figure why everyone was just hanging out, but I could see if I got my pack and camera gear together quickly, that I could beat them all onto the trail. And the last thing I wanted was to get behind a mob of people starting out. The Appalachian Trail (AT) trailhead is just across the road on the east side. So off I went, somewhat confused, but tickled that I wouldn’t be behind this big crowd of folks with unknown intentions.

Because of the popularity, the trail track here is a light gravel with borders on each side, kinda like you might see in a city park. Fancy. The trail switches back on a grassy hillside, going in and out and around clusters of rhododendron shrubs as it leaves the cars, and people, at Carvers Gap behind. It took me less than 15 minutes, and only a couple hundred feet of climbing, to realize that Roan Highlands is a very special place.

This is high country, with clear air, crystal blue sky, dazzling emerald green grasses that conjure images of Ireland, and long-distance views to the south and southwest of the blanket of valley fog. It’s why they call them the Smoky Mountains. It became apparent early on that I might as well just leave the camera on the tripod and carry it, rather than putting it away in the pack each time I moved on. This was going to be a fantastic day.

After catching my breath from the sheer stunning beauty of the southern vista, I proceeded to the next curiosity. The trail winds through a dark and mysterious spruce-fir forest tightly packed with black balsam spruce and Fraser fir. There are large igneous rocks on either side of the path, and that heavenly aroma from the evergreen needles and bark. Quite the contrast from the brightness of the meadow to the gloomy stroll through the conifers.

Just about the time my pupils were adjusting to the pitch of the forest, the trail was back out in the light in another series of rhododendron bushes. These are the catawba variety (rhododendron catawbiense), a dense shrub with evergreen leaves, and numerous violet-purple flower clusters bigger than your fist. The fruit is a dry capsule with numerous small seeds. They are really quite lovely, and there are more natural rhododendrons in the Roan Highlands than anywhere else in the world.

The trail continues climbing Round Bald up a series of steps about 20 feet apart. There are more terrific views of the southern mountains, and then eventually, the Tennessee side of the ridge comes into view. On this particular day, that side was even more socked in. The clouds were boiling like a witches cauldron, occasionally rolling up and over the bald.

I reached the summit of Round Bald, 5,826 feet, and was in awe of the panorama of Smoky Mountains surrounding me. The bald is aptly named. It’s like standing on a massive basketball with grass. The top is truly round. As I approached the eastern side I could see down into Engine Gap, the path of the trail a half mile away. Clouds were wafting through the gap on a race from Tennessee to North Carolina.

A series of switchbacks aids the descent eastward, and brings the trail closer to the edge of the forest where there is a plethora of flame azalea bushes. Much as the western slope was alive with the pink/magenta catawbas, this eastern side of Round Bald is lush with rhododendron calendulaceum. The flowers of this deciduous shrub are larger than most other native azaleas, measuring from 1.5 to 2.5 inches across, and come in a wide range of colors from ochreous yellow, through various shades of orange, almost red even. A number of the blooms on the balds are a blazing bicolored orange.

Dropping about two hundred feet from Round Bald into Engine Gap, I entered a sea of yellow hawkweed. In the late 19th century, a steam engine was setup in the gap between Round Bald and Jane Bald by logging companies (hence the name, Engine Gap) to move lumber from the Tennessee side to the mills located on the North Carolina side. Thanks to the efforts of land conservation since, I could enjoy hawkweed instead of locomotives.

I took a glance behind me to enjoy the rhodo and azalea gardens on the eastern grade of Round Bald, and wait… What is that? Is that sheep up on the mountain? I dialed in the zoom on my camera to get a closer look. Sure looks like sheep.

Not long afterward another hiker caught up to me and I asked him if he saw the sheep behind us. He said, “Those aren’t sheep. They’re goats. We’re herding them up in the highlands for summer. When the goats approach you, you don’t want to be in front of them because it spooks them. It makes them want to scatter. So you might want to setup your camera over there on the side and catch them as they come by.”

Cool! What dumb luck! I quickly learned that I just happened to pick the day to be at Roan Highlands when they were bringing the goats up for the summer Baatany Project. Despite the somewhat cheesy name, apparently this is the sixth year of the Baatany Project, a volunteer-based effort to restore the Grassy Bald corridor on Roan Mountain using goats as an experimental management tool. Could this day get any more perfect?

A bell dinged in my head. Now I understood why all those people were milling around at Carvers Gap. They were waiting for the goats to arrive for the drive up the balds. Unknowingly I had become a part of this year’s Baatany Project. So I spent the next half hour on the side of the trail taking pictures of the nearly two dozen goats and at least twice as many volunteers as they herded into a fenced area on Jane Bald. The babies came last.

Well, that was exciting. Now it was time to climb up Jane Bald for the next surprise. Unlike Round Bald, Jane Bald is nearly covered with granite and rhododendron. The trail is steeper, and carved through a forest of shrubs that also includes green alder, a large bush with flowers known as catkins, oblong and almost berry-like.

Jane Bald is smaller than the others, and six feet lower than Round Bald at 5,820 feet. The views however, are fantastic. To the west is Round Bald with Roan High Knob and Roan High Bluff beyond. To the east is the continuation of Grassy Ridge onward to Grassy Ridge Bald. To the south are the Black Mountains, including Mt. Mitchell, and to the north are the Smokies of Tennessee and Roan Mountain State Park.

The summit of Jane Bald is where the goats were penned for now. They are herded by a gorgeous Great Pyrenees. I happened to catch one of the principals of the Baatany Project and asked how often they come up to relocate the portable fences from bald to bald. About every 10 days he said. This particular breed of goat loves the Canadian blackberry, an invasive species to the Roan Highlands. Clearing that, and keeping the natural grasses “mown” are the primary jobs of the goats.

The southeastern slope of Jane Bald has a large rocky outcropping that is ideal for camera work, and nearly the entire eastern side is literally covered with blooming rhododendron and azalea. Later, from almost a mile away, this eastern face of Jane Bald appeared lit up with pink and orange. Stunning.

The gap between Jane and Grassy Ridge Balds dips a couple hundred feet, much like Engine Gap did. At the base of the gap is a trail junction. The Appalachian Trail continues around the next bald to the left, and a spur trail heads southeasterly up the side of Grassy Ridge Bald. I wanted to check out both, so I chose the AT first. I went about a half mile through thick rhodo thickets, passing the northern flank of Grassy Ridge, with views deep into the Smokies of Tennessee.

I passed a spring on the right, learning later that this is where the goat keepers collect water for the dog, and also hopped over a small queen snake sunning on the trail. When the AT began heading steeply down, I decided it was time to turn around and do my additional climbing on Grassy Ridge.

The spur trail up Grassy Ridge Bald is the most difficult section of this hike. It is a very narrow, rocky trenched channel that climbs 500 feet through thick rhododendron and alder scrub. The end result is definitely worth the effort, however, as Grassy Ridge Bald is unbelievably even more beautiful that Round and Jane Balds were. This trip just kept getting better and better.

Cronk. Cronk. Cronk. The tell-tale sound of ravens hovering above me was a warm welcome to the next bald on the menu. I paused to watch them floating on the breeze, swooping below the horizon then drifting back up to silhouette the clouds.

Grassy Ridge Bald is several hundred acres of green, green grassland, surrounded by spruce and rhododendron, simply stunning. Far to the east is the Grandfather Mountain massif, and the peaks of Linville Gorge, Hawksbill and Tablerock. There is a large rock outcropping near the 6,189′ summit with an imbedded plaque honoring Cornelius Rex Peake, operater of the highest cultivated farm in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains, and very instrumental in bringing the conservation movement to Roan Mountain.

This looked like a perfect spot for lunch. Since I left Jane Bald, I had separated myself from most of the other folks who only came to help with the Baatany Project. It became apparent who the other day hikers were as a few stopped by to break bread with me at the outcropping. One couple was from Boone, and I also met a professional photographer from Nashville who gave me several tips about when and where for Roan Highlands pictures.

He told me about the next ridge over, what he described as a “purple mountain.” I certainly wanted to see that, so after wrapping up lunch I continued southeast across the acres of grass toward another series of outcrops on the other side. Then, peaking out through a few spruce and fir, there is was. The entire face of Bear Ridge was awash in the violet/purple of catawba rhododendron. It totally beat anything I had ever seen at Craggy Gardens or elsewhere in the Blue Ridge or Smokies.

The entire length of the Roan Mountain grassy balds covers seven miles and crosses five different summits. Perhaps some other time I will continue on the AT over Yellow Mountain and Hump Mountain. But on this day, I was totally content to conclude my exploration at the end of Grassy Ridge. What a treat I’d had, and I still would get to see it all over again on the way back.

By now, the morning valley fog had lifted on both sides of the ridge, presenting higher clouds and a horizon level haze. Even more of the bicolored azalea had popped out from the afternoon sunshine, and I could see lines of hikers marching like ants two miles away on Round Bald. Yes, Grassy Ridge is a popular and special place, but it is roomy enough to not seem crowded. There is plenty of space for everyone to enjoy their own little mellow haven.

By the time I got back to my car, I had traveled six miles and taken nearly five hours to do it. That should be an indicator of just how much there is to enjoy on Grassy Ridge. You could certainly do this round trip hike in less than three hours, but why would you. There is so much to see, so much to ponder, so much to breathe, so much essence.

While there, I figured I might as well visit the Rhododendron Gardens located in the gap between Roan High Knob and Roan High Bluff. This is a $3.00 fee area that includes the Cloudland Trailhead, which crosses the Gardens and ascends the western slope of Roan High Bluff to an observation platform just below the summit. This is also the former site of the Cloudland Hotel (c. 1885-1910) at Tollhouse Gap, billed as a very ritzy health resort, especially for those suffering from hay fever. There are numerous camping sites if you want to make a mini-vacation of your visit to Roan Mountain.

Best Hike When I was standing on Grassy Ridge Bald surveying the flowers in full bloom, the large expanse of verdant grassland, 6,000 foot mountains in all directions … I came to the conclusion this is the most beautiful place I have been in all of Southern Appalachia. I’ve seen stunning scenes in West Virginia and Shenandoah, in Eastern Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains, in Western North Carolina and along the Blue Ridge, but they all stand a step behind the Roan Highlands. I simply can’t wait to go back — I’m already researching when the peak autumn leaf season is. Label this one the best hike I have done so far in WNC, and definitely the most beautiful among many delightful sections along the Appalachian Trail. So treat yourself, and make an entire day of it. You will be amazed, and thrilled.

I’ve posted more pictures than usual below. It was such a perfect day that I had a lot to choose from. They are sorted sequentially from the start of the day, to the end. Just click on any of the thumbnails for a slideshow that is scroll-able forward or back. I hope the photos leave you with a sense of what a remarkable place the Roan Highlands truly is.

Updated October 15, 2013 — I mentioned above that I planned on returning to Grassy Ridge and the Roan Highlands in October to enjoy the autumnal coloring. And so I did. While I did find some color, as you will see in the pictures below, it’s hard to predict that perfect peak time when the hills are a total chromatic sensation.

It seemed the North Carolina side of the ridge was past peak with its browns and other earth tones. Conversely, the Tennessee side of the ridge was probably still 4-7 days away from the brightest colors. Go figure. I suppose the difference lies in being on the southern or northern side of Roan Mountain.

Regardless, I again had an absolutely splendid day. The weather was ideal for hiking — temps in the high 50s with a light breeze — and those of us who traversed the Appalachian Trail that day weren’t hassled by any law enforcement for being on the trail during the government shutdown.

Enjoy the photos. Compare the scenery to the ones above from mid-June. What a difference the season makes.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.