August 24, 2021
Whiteside Mountain National Recreation Trail
It was a nice day for a hike at ~75°F and clear skies. Being Tuesday, we were surprised by the large number of folks on this trail. We took the loop counter-clockwise with a short, but fairly steep initial climb and mostly a roadbed on the return, downhill leg. Despite being mostly a tourist walk, the views are quite impressive. From the Sylva Herald, " Nestled in the Appalachians, among the world's oldest mountains, Whiteside is considered by some to be the oldest, dated at anywhere from 390 to 460 million years old. A giant slab of granite itself, it's no wonder many of the legends regarding Whiteside are gigantic as well, particularly in Cherokee lore." We did see a few late summer wildflowers along the way and had lunch at the amphitheater at the Highlands Nature Center on our way to our next stop at Glen Falls.
The route
2.2 mi · 522 ft climbing · 1h 55m out, 1h 23m walking · 1.6 mph moving
Elevation
Hover over the profile to see the elevation and steepness. Your position will be shown on the map.
- Steepness
- Gentle under 5%
- Moderate 5–10%
- Steep 10–15%
- Very steep over 15%
Photos (14)
One of the views from overlooks along the southeast side of Whiteside Mountain. Lots of smoke and haze today. Today's Hikers: (L-R): Jeanne, John, Mike, Beth, Vic, Jenny, Christine, Angela, Renee & Jack Trail on the way up Another view from a small outcrop at the southwest corner of Whiteside Mtn. View from a small outcrop at the southwest corner of Whiteside Mtn. Checking out the valley below Today's hikers looking toward the northeast. Altitude information etched into a large bolder A view to the northeast Lunch at the nature center amphitheater Mountain sweetpepperbush (Clethra acuminata) ??? Filmy or Hairy Angangelica about to bloom. Wildflowers along the trail. The blue lobelia is my favorite Wildflowers along the trail. Checkout the bumble bee on the Parasol whitetop (Doellingeria umbellata) ??