Target: Roan High Knob
Type: Highpoint
State: Tennessee

View on Map

The Roan Highlands are a series of grassy balds stretching twelve miles along the North Carolina/Tennessee border. Among them is Grassy Ridge which is one of only three 6000+ footers with natural 360 degree views on the East Coast. Roan High Knob, while not a bald itself, anchors the chain to the east and is the highest point in the Forest at 6285 feet. My plan was to summit this peak, then traverse a section of the Highlands before dropping down to the famous AT shelter at Overmountain.

We got in after dark and since there’s no obvious place to camp we just pitched a tent in the grass lining the parking lot. We started early the next day, but by the time we hit the trail there were already dozens of cars filling the lot and more coming in. I had heard the highlands could be packed, but didn’t expect quite so many people.

Fortunately our first destination was in the opposite direction of the flow of the crowd. It was a beautiful hike through all the intense greens and colorful lichens and mushrooms that are so typical of high Appalachia. Mist permeated the forest, deadening sounds, softening distances, and giving everything a dull shine despite the lack of sunlight.

The forest floor is very open with little undergrowth so rather than track down the actual trail, we set off cross country straight up the mountain hoping to intersect it at some point. That point turned out to be very soon, maybe half a mile up and we made good time to the top. There’s an AT shelter and a rock a little ways off with the USGS marker showing the highpoint.

We left our packs at the car knowing that we had to pass by again to get to the highlands proper. We picked them up at the bottom and started the first long climb to Round Bald. Solidly in the flow of traffic now, we made our way to the top amongst a wide variety of hikers from babies in backpacks to fit pensioners passing everyone by.

As you probably know, or may have guessed, a bald in the Appalachians is a mountain that is below the tree line but nevertheless has no trees on top. Sometimes this was caused by sheep or cattle farmers of old clearing the way for thicker and healthier pastures. Other times it’s due to acidic soil that only allows low shrubs to thrive. And yet other times it’s a mystery why nothing but grasses and cinquefoil grow. Roan High Knob is covered with spruce forest but Round Knob right next door has only a light, unobtrusive scattering of low trees.

Since these southern mountains rarely offer long distance views the balds are favorites of scenery enthusiasts. A reasonably easy hike has a visceral payoff in the form of endless wave after blue wave of mountains fanning out in every direction. The Appalachian Trail passes through here making for easy wayfinding and well maintained paths.

We summited Round Bald, Jane Bald, and finally turned aside to the top of 6165 foot Grassy Ridge Bald. The endless views were spectacular, but we were ready to get a little quiet time and turned back towards Low Gap where the forest closed in again and the people faded off to nothing.

The hike through the highlands had been dry and dominated by tans and browns with all the green in the long range views. Now it was wet again, streams running through every channel and seeps seemingly from every rock. The flora was lush and the air cool from all the moisture. We lunched on a huge boulder that seemed to have punched a hole in the forest letting in sunshine and pushing back the foliage. Honey bees were prolific up here unlike down in the Piedmont where they’ve become a rare sight. They buzzed from flower to flower in the rhododendrons, legs fat with pollen.

The trail itself became a stream for a while, alternating between mud and slick rock in the steeper sections. We descended all the way to Low Gap then started up again almost immediately before getting to the turn off for Overmountain Shelter. One of the most famous on the AT, this shelter is a 100+ year old barn that has recently been closed for possible condemnation by the Forest Service due to structural issues. This area is also famous to Revolutionary War buffs since it was near here that the famous Overmountain Men gathered to make their victorious 170 mile hike to do battle with the Loyalists.

The views from here are stunning and we set up our hammocks to take some small advantage. I had managed to forget the stove fuel and we were facing a peanut butter dinner until we met a a fellow hiker who was kind enough to lend us a canister. We turned in early prepared for a cold and windy night.

The hike out the next day was just as incredible, if even more jarring when we hit the crowded sections. This was a perfect weekend trip, with amazing scenery, great company, and nature of the highest caliber.