Ascent of Bluff Mountain on 2017-02-20| Date: | Monday, February 20, 2017 | | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | | Peak: | Bluff Mountain | | Location: | USA-North Carolina | | Elevation: | 3720 ft / 1133 m |
Ascent Trip ReportBluff Mountain is a peak along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Though it's not particularly prominent, it's not hard to get to, and has some nice views from the top.
There are several ways to get to the top of Bluff Mountain, including one that allows for driving through a picnic area and parking very close to the top. I decided to make a short hike of it, taking the trailhead at the Alligator Back parking area (N36.42101 W81.190112). This trail switchbacks up the northwest side of Bluff Mountain, eventually reaching some exposed rock, with outstanding views to the south and west. The summit area is mostly open and grassy, and while the exact high ground is hard to determine for certain, all apparent candidate areas are easy to visit. My chosen spot was at the west end of the summit clearing (N36.41994 W81.18604). I also hiked a little further, finding a shelter near the steep southern slope of the mountain. From the open summit area, it's obvious that there are higher points along the same overall hill not far to the north. However, it's unlikely these points would have the same views, as Bluff Mountain is adjacent to some very steep terrain to its south.
The total distance from the Alligator Back trailhead to the Bluff Mountain summit is about a half mile, with about 360 feet of vertical gain. |
| Summary Total Data | GPS Data for Ascent/Trip
 GPS Waypoints - Hover or click to see name and lat/long
Peaks:  climbed and  unclimbed by Andy Hatzos
Click Here for a Full Screen Map
Note: GPS Tracks may not be accurate, and may not show the best route. Do not follow this route blindly. Conditions change frequently. Use of a GPS unit in the outdoors, even with a pre-loaded track, is no substitute for experience and good judgment. Peakbagger.com accepts NO responsibility or liability from use of this data.
Download this GPS track as a GPX file |
This page has been served 177 times since 2005-01-15.
|
