Big Tom Gap Trail
At A Glance
0.35 mi one-way
Difficulty Rating: 0.35 
Steepness: Climbs Steeply
Tread Condition: Very Rough
Blaze Color: Blue
Trail Number: 191-A
Description
This narrow trail is extremely steep and follows the slope more or less directly uphill. However, it is short. The bottom portion climbs over a rock jumble and the middle section has more of a dirt tread. The trail passes through several openings, and provides good views including Maple Camp Bald to the northeast. It offers loop opportunities with the Buncombe Horse Range Trail, Mount Mitchell Trail and the Black Mountain Crest/Deep Gap trails.
Intersecting Trails
This trail is located in the Mount Mitchell State Park area. For a list of all the trails in that area, see the Mount Mitchell State Park trails list page.
This trail also crosses into these trailhead areas:
All Photos from the Trail
GPS Map
Map Information
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About the Map
Copyright
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Feedback
Ratings
Average Rating: 5.0 (rated 1 times)
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Parkway Hiker said: This is probably the toughest leg of trail I've ever done in my life. We did the 6-mile loop along the Mt. Mitchell, Buncombe Horse Range, and Black Mountain Crest trails. Highly recommended, but be ready for a serious workout. The Big Tom Gap connector is not really a trail per say, but a rocky runoff, which gives you an idea of the terrain in this area. It's so steep and rugged that the only way up is to follow the runoff. It is, however, well-blazed and easy to follow, but definitely not recommended in wet weather. We had one or two nice views on the way up, along with many breaks, although there isn't much room to lounge around on this trail. As we approached the top of the ridge and the Black Mountain Crest trail, the weather changed abruptly from sunny and warm to foggy and cold, which was actually welcome after sweating it out on the way up. The rest of this loop is no walk in the park, either, but this particular 0.4 mile section will kick your ass in a very memorable way. I'll be back.