Hike Description
The Roan Highlands is one of the most visited parts of the A.T. and home to a rare and threatened southern spruce-fir forest. Help protect this special place by staying on the trails – the vegetation on the balds (the open, high elevation “fields”) is very fragile. Always practice Leave No Trace on the A.T.
- From the parking area at Carvers Gap follow the gravel, white-blazed A.T. north (east) through log fence and ascend graded trail through open balds, then go left through spruce-fir forest.
- Re-emerge on grassy bald and continue to summit of Round Bald at 0.7 mile. Go downhill 0.3 mile to Engine Gap, then ascend 0.3 mile to rock formation with good views, crossing 740 million year old black rock dikes which intrude into 1.1 billion year old gneiss, the oldest rocks on the whole A.T.
- Retrace your steps to return.
Directions
The parking area at Carvers Gap is on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, 14 miles south of Roan Mountain, TN, on TN 143, or 14 miles north of Bakersville, NC on NC 261. This lot is very popular and fills up quickly. Carpool when possible and have a back-up hike planned in case the lot is full when you arrive.
