To reach the top of Mount Mitchell like they did in the late 1800s and early 1900s, venture down the Old Mitchell Trail, which is 4 miles roundtrip. Or, you could walk the strenuous 2.1-mile Deep ...

You can drive all the way up to the Mount Mitchell State Park summit parking lot, and then take a short, but steep, paved 0.15 one-way trail to the observation platform at the top. From the summit ...