Big Butt Trail

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#BFBF00" TEXT="#080000" background="03f55663.gif"> <div> <I><B>General Info:</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Trail length is 6 miles round trip from Balsam Gap to Little Butt Mountain or 14 miles round trip to Cane River Gap.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>This is a moderate hike.  Lots of climbing over and under logs from windfalls.  Trail drops down to gap from Point Misery and then there is a steep but fairly short climb up Little Butt.  Great views of the eastern section of the Black Mountains including Mt. Mitchell.  Best spots for viewing are along the narrow spine of the ridge from Little Butt to base of Big Butt.  Limited views from Big Butt.  The view from Little Butt  at a rock outcrop is excellent. </B></I></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#CCCC66" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#666633" FACE="Arial" >The Trails of Western North Carolina</FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#663399" FACE="Times New Roman" >    </FONT> |    <B> </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#333399" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Trails of Western North Carolina"><U><B>home</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <B>Big Butt Trail</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Deep Gap/Blk Mtn Trail"><U>Deep Gap/Blk Mtn Trail</U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="04ef0030.gif" border=0 width="496" height="3" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <I>Big Butt Trail</I></div> <div> <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Black Mountain Range"><U><I><B>Black Mountain Range</B></I></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="0f058ef0.jpg" border=0 width="344" height="239" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <I><B>Start of Big Butt Trail from Balsam Gap Parking area on Blue Ridge Parkway.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0f21dd60.jpg" border=0 width="285" height="214" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Trillium in bloom during late April</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0f4d61d0.jpg" border=0 width="214" height="285" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Windfall Tunnel cut by Forest Service through Red Spruce.  Trees were blown over during a Winter Storm in March 2001.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0f617730.jpg" border=0 width="279" height="371" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Mt. Mitchell from Little Butt Mountain</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="0f870140.jpg" border=0 width="368" height="276" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Little Butt (left) and Big Butt (right) as seen from Point Misery</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>All Photos Taken April 26, 2001</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>