168 Loop via Buncombe Horse Trail
5.7 mi
Distance
2 hrs 54 min
Time
terrain
870 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a moderate loop trail in Mount Mitchell State Park.
This trail goes by Commissary Hill.
Sights to See
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
I left to take this hike at 3 PM in the afternoon. I spent way too long during the first third of the trip marveling how beautiful it was and taking in the scenery and snapping photos and thinking “this isn’t too difficult at all”… only to turn a corner at one point and realize the rest of the hike is pure elevation gain and scrambling, with rocks and ropes… I was tired and worried that dusk was going to fall so I really had to push myself and put my survival brain into action to get out in time! I was definitely worried at one point… I was tired and it was tough… I was so exhausted that I kind of just wanted to lay down… instead I pushed myself like A gazelle flying up the mountain…… it was up snd up.. my legs were shaky every time I rested… If I hadn’t had my GPS guide with me I definitely would not have made it out as I ventured off the trail a couple of times and was able to notice that immediately… luckily I made it in time to enjoy a beautiful golden-hour drive back to Asheville. Apart from the heart pumping sensation of having made a rookie mistake and not observed the map properly to anticipate the elevation gain, this was probably one of my favorite hikes ever and I would love to do it again. There are some beautiful camping spots along the way as well. (If I hadn’t been worried about darkness approaching and would not have minded the difficult hike I would’ve been able to do it without much stress… But having to do it unexpectedly and before nightfall was a whole different story😆.)
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★
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Public Tracks
stars
