Roan Mountain (Roan Highlands)

Roan Mountain
Roan Mountain, looking northwest from Grassy Ridge Bald
Highest point
Peak	Roan High Knob
Elevation	6,277 ft (1,913 m)[1]
Prominence	3,515 ft (1,071 m)[2]
Parent peak	Potato Knob
Coordinates	36°06′16″N 82°07′20″W / 36.1045729°N 82.1223004°W / 36.1045729; -82.1223004[1]
Geography
Roan Mountain Roan Mountain (North Carolina) Show map of North Carolina Roan Mountain Roan Mountain (Tennessee) Show map of Tennessee
Location	Mitchell County, North Carolina, U.S. Carter County, Tennessee, U.S.
Parent range	Unaka Mountains
Topo map	USGS Bakersville , North Carolina USGS Carvers Gap, North Carolina

Roan Mountain is a 6,277 ft (1,913 m) ^[1] mountain straddling the North Carolina/Tennessee border in the Unaka Range of the Southern Appalachian Mountains in the Southeastern United States. The range's highpoint, Roan is clad in a dense stand of Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, and includes the world's largest natural rhododendron garden, and the longest stretch of grassy bald in the Appalachian range.^[3] The Roan Highlands also contain the highest quality remaining stretch of Fraser fir forest throughout the tree's entire range.^[4] The Cherokee National Forest and Pisgah National Forest converge atop the mountain, with Roan Mountain State Park located near its northern base. The Appalachian Trail traverses most of the Roan's crest. The Roan High Knob Shelter is the highest back-country shelter on the entire 2,174-mile (3,499 km) trail.^[5]

Roan Mountain comprises the greater part of the Roan Highlands, a 20-mile (32 km) massif stretching from Big Rock Creek on the west to U.S. Route 19 on the east. Most of this massif lies along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, between Carter County and Mitchell County. Yellow Mountain and Little Hump Mountain, on the northern tip of the massif, are part of the Roan Highlands but are generally not considered part of Roan Mountain proper.^[6]

Roan Mountain encompasses five summits, which are divided into two sections by Carver's Gap. The first section — composed of Roan High Bluff and Roan High Knob — lies west of Carver's Gap and is characterized by a thick coniferous forest. This part of Roan is shaped something like the body of a double-humped camel, with the "humps" being High Bluff and High Knob. Tollhouse Gap lies between the two peaks, and contains the Rhododendron Gardens, the largest of its kind in the world.

The second section of Roan Mountain — known as Grassy Ridge — is east of Carver's Gap, and is the longest stretch (approx. 7 mi or 11 km) of grassy bald in the Appalachian Mountains.^[7] A grassy bald is a type of highland meadow characterized by thick grass and sparse tree coverage.^[8] The three peaks atop Grassy Ridge are Round Bald, Jane Bald, and Grassy Ridge Bald. The bald area spans the summits of all three, covering an area roughly equal to 1,000 acres (4.0 km²).^[9]

The Appalachian Trail, after traversing Iron Mountain to the west, crosses Hughes Gap and ascends Roan's northern slope to Tollhouse Gap. From there, it makes a sharp turn to the east, crossing Roan High Knob, Carver's Gap, Grassy Ridge, and Yellow and Little Hump Mountains before descending to US-19 and the White Rocks Mountain area. From the slopes of Old Black in the Great Smoky Mountains, some 150 miles (240 km) to the south, to Mount Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, some 1,500 miles (2,400 km) to the north, Roan Mountain is the only area where the trail rises above the 6,000-foot (1,800 m) mark.