Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker 50 Miler

Race - Mar 25, 2023

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Geological Significance · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker 50M/55K is an extremely scenic tour of "the other Pisgah" in the shadow of Mount Mitchell.  Starting at the foot of the mountains in Old Fort, NC at Camp Grier, the race takes runners up and down some of the most stunning, quad-busting, and heart-pounding trails in all of Western North Carolina, eventually taking the 50 milers over three 6,000 ft+ peaks including Mount Mitchell itself, making this the highest 50 miler east of the Mississippi! Highlights of the course include Snooks Nose, Green Knob, Black Mountain Crest, and Heartbreak Ridge Trail.  

Cutoff time for the event is 16 hours. 

Turn-by-turn directions:

-Start at Camp Grier and run gravel road out to back of camp
-Turn onto Rostan Trail and take to Jarrett Creek Road - FSR 4030
-Turn right onto Jarrett Creek Road - FSR 4030 and follow to Curtis Creek Rd
-Turn left onto Curtis Creek Rd and follow to Snooks Nose Trail (aid 1 in Curtis Creek Campground)
-Turn left onto Snooks Nose Trail and follow to Green Knob Overlook (fluid only aid 1)
-Turn right onto Blue Ridge Parkway and follow shortly to Green Knob Trail/Lost Cove Trail on left
-Turn left onto Green Knob Trail/Lost Cove Trail and follow to Mountains to Sea Trail
-Turn right onto Mountains to Sea Trail and follow to Neals Creek Rd (aid 2 in field, crew access point 1)
-Turn left onto S Toe River Rd and follow to Mt Mitchell Campground
-Turn right into Mt Mitchell Campground and follow road to Mt. Mitchell Trail #190
-Turn right onto Mt. Mitchell Trail #190 and follow to Buncombe Horse Trail (fluid only aid 2)
-Turn right onto Buncombe Horse Trail and follow to Big Tom Gap Trail
-Turn left up Big Tom Gap Trail and follow to Black Mountain Crest Trail #179
-Turn left onto Black Mountain Crest Trail #179 and follow to Mt Mitchell Parking Lot (aid 3, crew access point 2)
-Run along outside shoulder of parking area to Mt Mitchell summit paved walkway and tag summit, turn around and follow back to Camp Alice Trail
-Turn left onto Camp Alice Trail and follow to Commissary Trail
-Turn left onto Commissary Trail and follow to Buncombe Horse Trail
-Turn right onto Buncombe Horse Trail and follow to S Toe River Rd (aid 4, no crew access)
-Turn right onto S Toe River Rd and follow to Bald Knob Ridge Trail
-Turn right onto Bald Knob Ridge Trail and follow as it climbs to the Blue Ridge Parkway
-Cross Parkway and turn left to run shoulder down to Old Mitchell Toll Road (fluid only aid 3)
-Turn right onto Old Mitchell Toll Road and follow to Toll Rd/Heartbreak Ridge Connector Trail
-Turn left onto Toll Rd/Heartbreak Ridge Connector Trail and follow to Heartbreak Ridge Trail
-Turn right onto Heartbreak Ridge Trail and follow down to Star Gap Trail
-Turn left onto Star Gap Trail and follow down to Jarrett Creek Road - FSR 4030
-Turn left onto Jarrett Creek Road - FSR 4030 and follow down to aid 5 about a mile down from intersection (no crew crew access)
-Continue on Jarrett Creek Road - FSR 4030 to Rostan Trail
-Turn right onto Rostan Trail and follow to Camp Grier Rd
-Turn onto Camp Grier Rd and follow back to the start/finish