Mount Sterling is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Haywood County, North Carolina, located in the southeastern United States. It reaches an elevation of 5,842 feet (1,781 m) above sea level. The summit is topped by an abandoned fire tower that gives stunning views of other nearby peaks.Plan to visit Mount Sterling during your Great Smoky Mountains National Park vacation using our convenient Great Smoky Mountains National Park trip planner.
Mount Sterling crowns Mount Sterling Ridge, a 7-mile (11 km) ridge that gradually descends northward from the flanks of Big Cataloochee Mountain (on the Balsam Mountain crest) to the Pigeon River Valley. The ridge divides the Cataloochee area to the east from the Big Creek Valley (which represents the fringe of the Cosby area) to the west. The communities of Mount Sterling, North Carolina, and Waterville, North Carolina are located in the Pigeon Valley at the ridge's northern extreme. Geologically, Mount Sterling consists mainly of Precambrian metamorphic sandstone of the Ocoee Supergroup, formed nearly a billion years ago from ancient ocean sediments. The summit of Mount Sterling is surrounded by a stand of Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest.
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Mount Sterling reviews
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One web site called this the toughest day hike in the Smokies. I didn't think it was that but it's constant uphill for 6.2 miles. Through some Rhododendron tunnels and moss fields. The fire tower...
One web site called this the toughest day hike in the Smokies. I didn't think it was that but it's constant uphill for 6.2 miles. Through some Rhododendron tunnels and moss fields. The fire tower... more »
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We hiked to the top of Mount Sterling via the Baxter Creek Trail on November 18th. It was a pretty strenuous hike, but the woods were beautiful, even in November. This trail is extremely lightly trafficked this time of year. The wind was really gusty as we got into the last couple miles of the ascent. Due to the wind and heavy cloud cover, there were no views to be had. It was still a welcome challenge of a hike.
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Gorgeous, but hard hike up via Baxter Creek trail...something like 4,200’ in elevation over 6 miles. But the payoff was worth it for a clear, Fall sunset and sunrise. Decent campsites at the top. Water is accessible at the top, but not easy. Would recommend carrying water in for the night and refilling in the morning.
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