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Roan Mountain All photos and illustrations by Pat Johns ©2008 - present
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Roan Mountain has 5 peaks which are split into 2 sections by Carver's Gap. To the west is the dense forest and the rhododendron gardens. To the east is the long grassy bald. Each year in late June, the area celebrates the blooming of the rhododendron with a festival. Up to 200,000 people visit the area each year.  |
Roan Mountain is on the border of Carter County, Tennessee and Mitchell County, North Carolina. In 1885 John Wilder built a hotel and roads to reach the hotel. It was known as the Cloudland Hotel and it straddled the border between the states. The high costs of maintaining the hotel eventually put it out of business and a remnant of its foundation remains today.  |
The area and state park are filled with hiking trails, chief among them the Appalachian Trail. On Roan Mountain the Appalachian Trail climbs above the 6000 foot level.  |
To reach Roan Mountain from Watauga Lake take 321 toward Elizabethton. In Hampton turn left on Hwy. 321/ Rte. 19. Travel 12 miles and turn right on TN Rte. 143. Follow the signs to the park.  |
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