Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Tennessee / Cherokee National Forest and AT

Roan Highlands: Carvers Gap to Yellow Mountain Gap

Roan Highlands, Cherokee and Pisgah National Forests (Appalachian Trail along the Tennessee–North Carolina line)

Grassy Ridge Bald
“Grassy Ridge Bald” by Chaneyforkriver , CC0 · Source · Resized for the web

The Roan Highlands are a well-known stretch of grassy balds on the Appalachian Trail: open, rolling summits with 360-degree views, wildflower meadows, and blueberry thickets. Starting from Carvers Gap, the Appalachian Trail carries you over three of them in the first few miles, and the whole trip works as a quick overnight for a first-time backpacker.

The hike

From the Carvers Gap parking area, cross the road, pass through a wooden fence, and head north on the AT. Catawba rhododendron lines the trail at first, followed by a small stand of spruce-fir forest, and one hiking site says the path is mostly gravel and well maintained, because so many people use it. The Roan Highlands are, according to a regional trail guide, the longest stretch of grassy balds in the Appalachian Mountains, spanning nearly 1,000 acres.

Round Bald comes first, about 0.7 miles in, at roughly 5,825 feet, with 360-degree views of the North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia mountains. Jane Bald follows about three-quarters of a mile later, at about 5,807 to 5,811 feet, and a wide slab-rock outcrop near its summit offers views. Accounts of the name differ: one reference repeats a local legend about a woman named Jane who died of milk sickness while crossing the mountain, while a local hiking club says it comes from Jane Cook, whose sister Harriet died of milk sickness on the bald in November 1870.

From Jane Bald the AT drops into a gap and then climbs more than 400 feet toward Grassy Ridge Bald. The spur to Grassy Ridge Bald is about a mile out and back and worth the detour for lunch and the views. One Asheville travel guide describes it as a steep, somewhat rocky walk through a dense rhododendron tunnel. Atop the summit, at 6,184 feet by one reference’s count and 6,189 by others, there’s a plaque dedicated to Cornelius Rex Peake, who the hiking club says owned and donated much of the mountain, and Grandfather Mountain is visible to the north. Past the spur, the trail drops through hardwoods to Low Gap and the Stan Murray Shelter, at 3.3 to 3.5 miles depending on the source.

From there the trail continues to Yellow Mountain Gap at 5.5 miles, where the Overmountain Victory Trail crosses the AT. A regional travel guide says the gap is the route the Overmountain Men took in 1780 on their march to the Battle of Kings Mountain, and mentions their old road, Bright’s Trace. The regional trail guide describes the historic red barn near the gap as having gorgeous valley views, but it is closed, as the camping section explains.

The way back is the same route: from the gap a steady climb of more than 1,200 feet over 3.6 miles takes you up to the Grassy Ridge spur, then a rolling return over the balds to Carvers Gap.

West of Carvers Gap the AT climbs through spruce-fir forest to Roan High Knob, the site of the highest-elevation shelter on the AT, and our Iron Mountain Gap to US 19E guide covers that route. The regional trail guide says the balds are exceptional in winter, with frosty sunrises and sunsets, and the travel guide says rhododendron bloom draws visitors in late June. A paved road from Carvers Gap leads to the Roan Mountain rhododendron gardens.

Tips

Camping

Camping is allowed along the AT here at select areas, and one route guide says no permits are required for this stretch. Stan Murray Shelter is small but has campsites with good tree cover around it. The Overmountain Shelter, the historic red barn at Yellow Mountain Gap, is closed. One source says it was taken apart in late 2023, but the big grassy field beside it is still used for camping. Water is a short walk away, with a spring about 0.2 to 0.3 miles from the field, depending on the guide. Roan Highlands’ official site warns that the balds are poorly suited for camping because they offer little shelter and strong winds.

Inside Intel: Opinions differ. Some hikers say a far better option than any shelter is a campsite on the balds, with sunrise and sunset views you won’t get in the trees. Little Hump, the gap beyond it, and Hump Mountain are the most popular dispersed areas, and there are also sites near Jane Bald and Grassy Ridge. The trade-offs are cold, windy nights and no water. One guide says the last reliable fill-up is a stream below Little Hump. If the forecast is rough, the lower sites at Stan Murray or the Yellow Mountain Gap field offer more protection than the open balds, which the official Roan Highlands site warns are exposed. Always use an established site.

Trail facts

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.