The 40 peaks over 6000 feet in the Southern Appalachians with at least 200 ft prominence or isolation of .75 miles. Includes peaks in North Carolina and Tennessee lying in the Smokies, Plott-Balsams, Great-Balsams, Craggy Mountains, Black Mountains, and Roan Mountains. A true test of navigation skills, about a third of these peaks have no discernable trail to the summit. Sponsored by the Carolina Mountain Club, see more at http://www.carolinamountainclub.org/index.cfm/do/pages.view/id/23/page/South-Beyond-6000
Highest peak
Mount Mitchell
6,684 ft / 2,037 m
Most prominent peak
Mount Mitchell
6,089 ft / 1,855 m prom
Most summited peak
Clingmans Dome
250 summits
Most difficult peak
Richland Balsam
Class 1
Difficulty breakdown
Class 1/2 7 peaks
Highlights
Latest summits

"Part of a 5-peak trail run that started at Newfound Gap. My first trip to the Smokies was epic. Five summits, 10 miles, and near 3,000 feet of climbing. The views were breathtaking, and the trails were gnarly with sections of ice. Legs felt phenomenal and I can't wait to return. Bagged Mt. Ambler twice (once from both sides), Charlies Bunion, Mt. Kephart and Masa Knob." — runshigleyrun • Nov 18, 2022

"Drove the Blue Ridge Parkway on a picture perfect fall day. Sunny clear blue sky and tree covered mountains showing off some fall colors. Parked in the lot and walked up the summit trail. Great views from the observation deck. We will definitely be back to do a nice long hike up there next time." — jodola • Oct 6, 2022

"Long line of traffic driving up to the parking lot, so we turned around to park on the other side of the road and walked the rest of the way, then continued on to the paved summit trail. Very crowded up there, but great views of the Smokies from the top." — jodola • Oct 4, 2022

"Drove Blue Ridge Parkway to Waterrock Knob parking, then hiked back down to and across Blue Ridge Parkway to ridge trail to Yellow Face peak and back. Gina made it up the steepest section to the best overlook. The trail goes over a small peak then gets steep on the final ascent to Yellow Face peak. For my 6-foot frame it was a class 1 with trekking poles, but Gina had to scramble a few places with her 5-foot frame. Some sections are narrow with overgrowth, but poles were sufficient to hold back a few briars. Past the peak gets tight with overgrowth. A sign near the trailhead says it is 0.6 mile to Yellow Face, and I suspect my noisy GPS/GPX recording is responsible for the extra miles totaled. The trail is not as straight as indicated on the maps, but it is not as crooked as indicated by the noisy signal." — davidensley • Jul 23, 2022

"This was the most crowded peak that I have ever visited in my 5-10 years of peakbagging. Washington, Whitney, Hadley, and even Lantau Peak in densely-populated Hong Kong had nothing on Clingman's crowds. It was a zoo! There was a whole line of cars waiting for parking spots to open up, which brought back unpleasant memories of my undergrad experience at a large state university. The paved trail was a conga line of humanity that made Times Square look like a remote location in Canada's Northwest Territories. Keep in mind this was midweek during shoulder season; I can't even fathom how bad it must be on holidays, summer weekends, and during peak fall foliage! " — theascent • Apr 27, 2022