| Mount Mitchell (north Carolina) |
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Information AboutMount Mitchell (north Carolina) |
Mount Mitchell is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in eastern North America , excluding Island Summits . It was the highest point in any state of the United States until Texas joined the union in 1845. The nearest higher point on the North American continent is Harney Peak in the Black Hills of South Dakota . Mount Mitchell is located near Burnsville in Yancey County, North Carolina , in the Black Mountain subrange of the Appalachians, and about north of Asheville . It is protected by Mount Mitchell State Park and surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest . The mountain was named after Elisha Mitchell , a professor at the University Of North Carolina , who determined its height in 1835 and fell to his death at nearby Mitchell Falls in 1857 , having returned to verify his earlier measurements. The ascent of Mount Mitchell is now rather easy, since a road off the historic and scenic Blue Ridge Parkway runs nearby, and a trail leads through a Conifer forest to the top. The summit once featured a stone observation tower, which was torn down in late 2006 and is being replaced by a shorter observation platform. Also at the summit is the tomb of Dr. Mitchell. |
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