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Author:
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Backpacker Magazine
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Activity:
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Hiking
ActivitySearchHiking
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State:
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North Carolina (NC)
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Distance:
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12.8 mi
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Difficulty:
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7 / 10
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Rating:
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 3 rating(s)
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A mere footnote in the geologic record, Charlies Bunion may lack the fame other Smoky Mountain hikes. But stand on this weatherworn promontory and peer past the dizzying 1,000-foot dropoffs to a quintessential Smokies skyline, and there's no doubt: This is a destination worth getting up early for. In fact, a predawn alarm isn't a bad idea, since you'll be bagging the standout summit in the most visited U.S. national park. There's a reason the softshell-clad masses trek through an evergreen tunnel along the spine of the Appalachians: A jaw-dropping panorama stretches from Mt. LeConte eastward to the jagged peaks of the Sawteeth Range. A 1925 wildfire that incinerated the slopes of this 5,565-foot knob is responsible for the exceptional view--and the peculiar name. Noted outdoorsman Horace Kephart named the bulbous peak in 1929 after observing its resemblance to his hiking companion's inflamed big toe.
TIPS TO DO IT RIGHT
- Spring brings the thru-hikers, and summer and fall bring everyone else. Visit the Bunion in winter, and you'll enjoy even better views through the leaf-bare trees, plus likely avoid a bottleneck at the outcrop. A bonus: The low humidity and cool, dense air help confine that famous Smoky Mountain fog to the valleys.
- Take a short detour from the Appalachian Trail onto the Boulevard Trail, 2.7 miles from the Newfound Gap trailhead, to reach The Jumpoff, an overlook with a great view of the Bunion.
Text by Thomas Wilmes. Mapped by Tim Johnson
TO TRAILHEAD: From Asheville, NC, take I-40 W to exit 27 to US 19 S to Cherokee. Turn R onto US 441 N and go 20 mi. to Newfound Gap parking area.
| Position Format: |
Datum: |
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CBL01
| Dist: 11.22 mi |
Points: 456 |
Calories: none |
| Time: none |
Speed: 0.0 mph |
Pace: 0:00 / mi |
Charlie's Bunion Loop
CBL002
Location: 35.621109°, -83.403801°
Turn R @ T onto Sweat Heifer Creek Trail
CBL003
Location: 35.613670°, -83.386253°
Trail cuts to NE @ old logging landing; continue descent to creekbed
CBL004
Location: 35.618881°, -83.380814°
Cross Sweat Heifer Creek, a sun-dappled stream with rippling cascades and a swimming hole
CBL005
Location: 35.610229°, -83.368683°
Pass Kephart Prong Shelter, a large stone hut tucked into a glade. Turn L @ T; follow Grassy Branch Trail to N
CBL006
Location: 35.626019°, -83.357590°
Turn L @ T for steady ascent up Dry Sluice Gap Trail
CBL007
Location: 35.638130°, -83.369133°
Turn L @ T onto Appalachian Trail
CBL008
Location: 35.638405°, -83.372253°
Traverse S edge of Charlies Bunion, a bare, rocky bluff with 1,000-ft. dropoffs to N
CBL009
Location: 35.637497°, -83.376785°
Rock outcrop provides views of layered Smoky Mountain ridgelines; traverse ridgecrest to SW
CBL010
Location: 35.630009°, -83.386368°
Pass Icewater Spring Shelter (one of the fi nest on the AT)
CBL011
Location: 35.628380°, -83.390671°
Stay straight on AT @ 3-way with Boulevard Trail. Follow NC/TN state line for SW descent on lush ridgeline back to WPT 2. Return to car.
Dry Sluice Gap Trail
Location: 35.626350°, -83.357483°
Trails are typically well-signed in the park. ©Tim Johnson
Kephart Prong Shelter
Location: 35.610306°, -83.368538°
The Kephart Prong Shelter is a large stone hut tucked into a glade. Look for non-native Norway Spruce along this trail, planted by Champion Fibre Company in pre-park days. ©Tim Johnson
View from Bunion
Location: 35.638676°, -83.372345°
The view from Charlies Bunion. The outcrop was originally cleared by a fire in 1925. ©Tim Johnson
Sweat Heifer Creek
Location: 35.619282°, -83.380867°
Cross Sweat Heifer Creek in a forest of Eastern Hemlock, Yellow Birch, and Rosebay Rhododendron; Watch for Rattlesnake Plantain, a member of the orchid family named for its distinctively veined evergreen basal leaves. ©Tim Johnson
Smokies vista
Location: 35.637497°, -83.376610°
Outcrop provides views of layered Smoky Mountain ridgelines ©Tim Johnson
