Waterrock Knob


Waterrock Knob is a mountain peak in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the highest peak in the Plott Balsams and is the 16th-highest mountain in the Eastern United States.
The mountain is a popular destination with tourists and amateur hikers, as it is easily accessible from the parkway. A visitors' center is located near its summit and a hiking trail leads to its top. The hiking trail and visitors' center are manned and maintained by the National Park Service, part of the United States Department of the Interior.

Name

Waterrock Knob is named as such because of a spring located near the summit where hunters would refill their canteens.

Geography

With an elevation of, Waterrock Knob is the highest peak in the Plott Balsams and is the 13th-highest mountain in the Eastern United States if using a prominence rule.
The mountain is split by both Haywood and Jackson counties in the western mountains of North Carolina. The mountain's summit is located within the Blue Ridge Parkway National Park Service unit. Cherokee is located about to the west, while Richland Balsam is located about to the southeast.

Hiking

Waterrock Knob's summit can be accessed from the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center, located a milepost 451.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This long trail ascends over from visitor center's parking lot and is paved for the first quarter mile.

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