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| | | Mount Sterling via Baxter Creek, NC | | | |
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Mount Sterling via Baxter Creek, NC
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| Hiking | 12.33 Miles |
4,156 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.33 Miles | 5 Hrs 26 Mns | | 2.42 mph |
| 4,156 ft AEG | 20 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | For my second hike in the Smoky Mountains, I set my sights on Mt Sterling. It featured a fire tower at roughly 5,800ft. I wanted to do a large CCW loop hike but the trail along Big Creek was closed, just past Mouse Creek Falls, due to damage from Hurricane Helene in Sept 2024. I decided to keep it simple and do an out n back from the Baxter Creek Trailhead. On a side note, the I-40 near the trailhead received extensive damage from the hurricane and was undergoing major repairs. Google showed closures by the trailhead but everything was open.
I left my Airbnb in Cosby, TN and made the 30+ minute drive to the trailhead and hit the trail around 8:30am. You start by crossing a bridge over Baxter Creek and then parallel the creek on a very good trail. The going is mostly easy as you start gaining elevation and continue on. The grade steepens and you pretty much climb all the way to the summit. I made good time and didn't see any other people on my ascent.
With some effort I topped out and saw the fire tower, which I immediately climbed. Along the way up I noticed a couple backpackers off to the side. I waved and climbed to the top which was open. It seems like most fire towers in the SW are locked. I went inside and noticed roughly half of the windows were blown out. This tower has not been manned in a long time. I took some pics and felt the prime fall colors were at least a week or two away. I eventually climbed down and went and talked to the backpackers. They were from the Asheville, NC area and were doing a few days in the mountains. I told them I was from Arizona and one of them asked if I was familiar with the Royal Arch Route in the Grand Canyon, something he recently backpacked. I said I just did it in March 2025 and we had a nice conversation about the route. I eventually said my goodbyes and headed down.
The return went really well. It was much easier going down and I passed two groups on their way up, roughly ten people total. I cruised down and crossed the bridge and was back to the trailhead. I wanted to hike more but I was still dealing with cold and sinus issues so I decided to call it a day. I was able to do two quality hikes despite being under the weather. I was happy with that and I'm already thinking of a return trip in May 2026! |
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