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Black Mountain - Kentucky Highpoint, KY

Guide ♦2 Triplogs  0 Topics
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Statistics
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Difficulty 0.5 of 5
Route Finding 1 of 5
Distance Round Trip 0.4 miles
Trailhead Elevation 4,090 feet
Elevation Gain 55 feet
Accumulated Gain 55 feet
Avg Time Round Trip 15 minutes
Kokopelli Seeds 0.68
 Interest Peak
 Backpack No
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Photos Viewed All MineFollowing
4  2024-05-18 DixieFlyer
6  2020-10-08 Stoic
Author
author avatar Guides 99
Routes 1,484
Photos 16,072
Trips 1,374 map ( 13,602 miles )
Age Male Gender
Location Fountain Hills, AZ
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Eastern Region
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Preferred Apr, Oct, Nov, May
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Sun  6:05am - 6:56pm
Official Route & 2 Rts
 
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black as coal
by DixieFlyer

 
Overview
Black Mountain is the highpoint of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is at an elevation of 4,139 feet and it has a prominence of 1,899 feet. Black Mountain is in Harlan County, the epicenter of Appalachian coal mining, and is a short distance from the Kentucky-Virginia border.


Hike
From the trailhead, the summit is about 1,000 feet away. To get there, you'll hike on a dirt jeep-type road that angles off to the left from the trailhead. You'll be able to see the fire tower at the summit from the trailhead.
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The summit area is flat with limited views. There is a dilapidated fire lookout tower at the summit with a benchmark disk underneath it. The tower is missing the lower flights of stairs and the cab that was once atop the tower is gone, so climbing the tower is not possible. A commemorative plaque for the highpoint is a short distance from the lookout tower.

Synopsis
This hike is mainly of interest to those trying to bag state highpoints. However, if for some reason you happen to find yourself on Highway 160 at the Virginia-Kentucky state line, you may as well spend a few minutes doing this hike.
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2024-05-27 DixieFlyer


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    WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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     Directions
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     Road
    FR / Dirt Road / Gravel - Car Okay
    To hike
    Black Mountain is located off of Black Mountain Ridge Road, which turns off of Highway 160 right at the Virginia-Kentucky state line. GPS coordinates for the turn are: 36.91491, -82.87129. This turn is about 150 feet from the Jebediah Memorial Overlook on the Virginia side of the stateline. Google Maps will get you to this overlook.

    Drive on Black Mountain Ridge Road for about 1.6 miles and park. The parking spot will be about 500 feet past a radar dome that it is on the right side of the road. The parking pullout is across from a dirt jeep road that leads to the summit, about 1,000 feet away. GPS coordinates from the parking area are 36.91568, -82.89293. Google Maps can get you to these coordinates.

    Most vehicles with at least a little clearance can make the drive on Black Mountain Ridge Road. If you have a very low clearance car, or if you are there after some heavy rainfall, rather than driving on the road you could instead park at the Jebediah Memorial Overlook parking lot and hike from there to Black Mountain. This would make the hike about 3.5 miles long with 500 feet or so of elevation gain.

    Note that Highway 160 is a narrow, winding, mountain road. Take it slow and you should be fine; however, rainy weather might merit extra caution, and the road might not be passable during a winter storm.
    page created by Stoic on May 27 2024 5:46 pm
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