Craggy Pinnacle, Buncombe County (6-17-14) - dwhike

Craggy Pinnacle -- 5,892'

Craggy Pinnacle (5,892'), located in the Craggy Gardens area of the Blue Ridge Parkway between Asheville and Mount Mitchell provides a nice, quick, tourist-friendly hike allowing the visitor some amazing views from its summit and a pleasant walk through thick stands of rhododendron which come to life with pink blooms each May and June. As such this peak sees quite a bit of foot traffic and, as the hike only clocks in at around a mile round-trip I hadn't bothered to make the two-hour drive over to it as yet.

This day, however, I was in the area already bagging yet another summit on my South Beyond 6000 list...Craggy Dome. After completing the 7-mile hike of the dome I still had plenty of energy and the day remained pleasantly clear so I figured I'd throw in the quick jaunt up the Pinnacle as a wind-down bonus peak. The hike was a nice one, the well-trodden trail being a nice alternative to the rugged Mountains-to-Sea Trail I had walked earlier in the day. From the top the view encompassed pretty much all of the central mountains of North Carolina though the haze of this warm day was a bit of a limiting factor. Nonetheless, it was a perfect bonus peak for the day...one that, despite the likely crowds, you shouldn't skip out on if you find yourself visiting this stretch of the Parkway...

Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 35.704209, -82.373492

Hike Length: 1.4 miles Hike Duration: 1:00

Trailhead Temp: 75'F

Min. Elevation: 5,640' Max. Elevation: 5,892'

Total Vertical Gain: 252' Avg. Elevation Gain / Mile: 336'

Craggy Pinnacle, Buncombe County (6-17-14)

Craggy Pinnacle Parking Area
After my hike to Craggy Dome I figured it was too nice a day not to make the quick jaunt up neighboring Craggy Pinnacle, as seen here from the south at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center...
Blue Ridge Parkway @ Craggy Pinnacle
Now just to the north along the Parkway, Craggy Pinnacle rises high above the valley of Carter Creek to the north...
Blue Ridge Parkway @ Craggy Pinnacle
From the parking area at the trailhead, there's a good view across to my previous conquest of the day, Craggy Dome...
Craggy Pinnacle Hike Route Map
My (approximate) route...
Craggy Pinnacle Trailhead
An interpretive sign at the trailhead gives a nice overview of the heath bald environment of the Southern Appalachians, which much of the hike passes through...
Craggy Pinnacle Trail
A much more well-traveled trail than the ones I had traveled earlier in the day...
Craggy Pinnacle Trail
As opposed to the norm, this old tree decided to grow horizontally and seems to be doing all right with it...
Craggy Pinnacle Trail
About halfway up the trail makes a sharp turn around a small outcrop with some nice views to the north...
Craggy Pinnacle-Lower Overlook Spur Trail Junction
Just below the top I was faced with a choice...I decided to head over to the lower overlook first...
Lower Overlook
An open ledge just before the last drop to the lower overlook provided a nice view across to the Craggy Garden Ridge (notice the shelter). I believe the pointed peak in the center distance is Lane Pinnacle (5,320')...
Lower Overlook
Arriving at the lower overlook, this stunning southern panorama opened up before me...
Lower Overlook
The Craggy Gardens Visitor Center and the shelter atop the gardens themselves from the lower overlook atop Craggy Pinnacle...
Lower Overlook
Craggy Dome (6,080') and the natural palette of hills and valleys from the lower overlook atop Craggy Pinnacle...
Lower Overlook
Haze obscures the valley's to the north beyond the steep slopes of the Pinnacle...
Craggy Pinnacle Trail
After finishing up at the lower overlook I headed over and up to the summit itself...
Craggy Pinnacle -- 5,892'
Craggy Pinnacle Summit (5,892') - The top of the Pinnacle contains a four-pronged stone observation area each providing a unique view in each cardinal direction from the summit...
Craggy Pinnacle -- 5,892'
Craggy Pinnacle Summit (5,892') - The northwestern panorama from the summit of Craggy Pinnacle. Craggy Dome (6,080') is to the right with the Black Mountains beyond...
Craggy Pinnacle -- 5,892'
Craggy Pinnacle Summit (5,892') - Craggy Dome (6,080') from the summit with the Pinnacle parking area visible also...
Craggy Pinnacle -- 5,892'
Craggy Pinnacle Summit (5,892') - Besides the view, a billowing thunderhead to the south provided added drama to the scene...
Craggy Pinnacle -- 5,892'
Craggy Pinnacle Summit (5,892') - Overlooking the Asheville Watershed to the north from the top of the Pinnacle...
Craggy Pinnacle -- 5,892'
Craggy Pinnacle Summit (5,892') - A zoomed shot into the neighboring watershed. The reservoir tucked into the valley some 3,000-feet below supplies water to nearby Asheville. After a few more minutes enjoying the summit breezes it was time to call it a day...and what a day it had been...