Conquering the Tallest Peaks in the East

IMG_20160729_163327550 — Mushroom found while hiking in Panthertown Valley – it was so vibrant it looked fake!

Even though the tallest peaks in the East are a fraction (in height) of the peaks out West that doesn’t mean they lack the excitement and foul weather that one experiences while summiting them. I’ve been at the base of Mt. Mitchell and Mt. LeConte where it’s sunny and beautiful only to get to the top and find 40-50 degree temps accompanied by cold rain. At this point, I’ve hiked up and over several of these peaks and I know firsthand they shouldn’t be discounted lightly just because they are only in the 6,000 foot range. They all have their steep slopes and drop-offs that can take ones life in a split second.

I decided to start logging the high peaks of the East so I can keep track of the ones that I need to climb. I’m only keeping a tally of the 6,000 foot plus peaks because there are way too many peaks below 6,000 feet to keep a log of here.

Here are the ones I have compiled…..Now, there are countless peaks and knobs out there and this list could go on forever. But the purpose of this list isn’t to name them all but just to name some or most of the more famous peaks.

TALLEST PEAKS IN THE EAST
PEAK NAME	ELEVATION	SUMMITED	LINK TO HIKE
MT. MITCHELL	6,684	YES
MT. CRAIG	6,663	YES
CLINGMANS DOME	6,643
MT. GUYOT	6,621
BALSAM CONE	6,611	YES
MT. LECONTE	6,593	YES
CATTAIL PEAK	6,583	YES
BIG TOM	6,580	YES
MT. GIBBES	6,571
POTATO HILL	6,475	YES
POTATO KNOB	6,420
MT. CHAPMAN	6,417
RICHLAND BALSAM	6,410
OLD BLACK	6,370
MT. HALLBACK	6,360	YES
BLACKSTOCK KNOB	6,330
CELO KNOB	6,327
CLINGMANS PEAK	6,320
MT. WASHINGTON	6,288
ROAN MOUNTAIN	6,286	YES
WINTER STAR MOUNTAIN	6,203
CHESTNUT BALD	6,040
GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN	5,946
MT. ADAMS	5,794
MT. ROGERS	5,728	YES
MT. JEFFERSON	5,712
BALD KNOB	5,410
MT. MADISON	5,367