The conversation started with a thirty something tan-skinned guy with dark brown hair and brown eyes, and an older man with grey hair and the same color skin. How to Get There. From Waterrock Knob, which is named for the spring near the summit where hunters would refill their canteens, the trail is small, mostly unmarked and easily missed. Fort Ridge Overlook to Waterrock Knob is an out-and-back trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Sylva, North Carolina. I was super interested. Thank you for sharing. The thing about getting to any summit is that you gotta go uphill. on How to Hike to an Airplane Crash in the Great Smoky Mountains- Waterrock Knob, How to Hike to an Airplane Crash in the Great Smoky Mountains- Waterrock Knob. If you follow that trail for a little bit you will see a tree with the following signs on it: Yes, there are warningsmake sure you tell someone where you are hiking just in case! While this hike isnt long, it is difficult. The pilot was also determined to have been impaired, with a blood alcohol content of 0.04%. Fair weather clouds against a pale blue sky and the Great Smoky Mountains waiting for me. Knowing that two lives were lost at the site, the vibe was pretty heavy. Learn how your comment data is processed. Headed over to the browning knob/plane crash site, this part of the trail wasn't to hard to follow with AllTrails map downloaded. I asked the family if theyd been to the plane crash. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. In order to reach the site of the airplane crash, you will need to start off on the Waterrock Knob trail located off of mile marker 451 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This shed some light on the mystery. The two of them squatted down beside Odin. While we were gathered at the crash site more people started to come. Heres What You Should Know, 29 Best Restaurants in Pigeon Forge, Ranked [2023], Great Smoky Mountains National Park Entrance Fees, What You Should Know, Smoky Mountains in March: Events in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge [2023], A Simple Guide to Smoky Mountain Parking Passes, Park it Forward. Patrick and Tammy, two hikers from South Carolina, arrived at the wreckage just after us. Waterrock Knob: Waterrock Knob is one of my favorite hikes and it's always one that I recommend to visitors. If youre planning to make this a weekend trip, I recommend searching on Booking.com to choose a place. The views are epic and sweeping: His wife was suddenly standing by my side, close, like she was my friend. The conversation started with a thirty something tan-skinned guy with dark brown hair and brown eyes, and an older man with grey hair and the same color skin. I created this little PDF with some very basic info thats easy to print off if you are thinkingabout hiking to the crashclick here or click the image below to download: Do you have any favorite hikes in the Smoky Mountains? When you do meet new and interesting people, youll find its like waking up from a sound sleep. A moderately difficult two-mile round trip hike from the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center and trailhead in Sylva, North Carolina lead to the wreckage. We found out how you can hike to an abandoned airplane crash in North Carolina, and have all the necessary details below. I think about how this section of the mountain range probably wasnt a trail at the time. Haha good call. It was a plan that worked, until it didnt. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I think the challenges with this hike are because you need to be more alert for markings to stick to the trail and because the terrain can be a little slippery, requiring a little more skill than walking a paved trail. The operating hours, policies and procedures of other businesses may change at any time without notice. Located at Milepost 451.2, it features the last hiking trail along the Parkway as you travel toward the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Its a paved path and well signed so all you need to do is look out for it. How could that be, you ask? It can be easy to get lost or miss the trail that leads to the crash site. They were drawn to our yellow lab, Odin. She looked more like her dad than her Caucasian mother. I have an awesome cinematic hiking vlog here for you guys!. The hike back to the parking lot was just as arduous as the hike to the crash site, and ended up being about a 2.5 mile hike round trip. While these plane crashes are tragic, they can make for an enjoyable hike. Completely agree! The nicely paved trail eventually transitions into a fairly strenuous trail with many stairs leading the way. The mountain is a popular destination with tourists and amateur hikers, as it is easily accessible from the parkway. Making a Composition Book Art Journal. How to Make a DIY Printing Press from a Panini Press. Copyright 2017 CleanBlog | Theme by AirThemes. I stayed here and it was just awesome. The trail starts at the last path on the left before the summit. The remains of the iconic train crash from the movie The Fugitive can still be found rusting along the Great Smoky Railroad. Being less than 10 miles from Maggie Valley, it is the closest hike and Visitors Center. After crossing snowbird VOR the aircraft turned south and again there were altitude excursions. The plane was inbound from Chicago on November 24th, 1983. We were there last fall and someone had spray painted the plane. The young girl was about eight-years-old. When you start returning back down the trail from the summit, youll see the small plane crash trail on your right. Photos (3,774) Directions. If you choose to click on them and make a purchase, I may earn a small fee at no additional cost to you. Located in the Smokey Mountains just outside of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, this hike is challenging due to its steep ascents and occasional scrambling over fallen trees and thick roots. This information is added by users of ASN. Im pretty sure there are some ghosts there. Didn't spend to much time up at Waterrock because of the wind. When you visit the crash site, you can tell that the airplane almost cleared the mountain. You wont be far from the visitors center, but with the thick canopy, its not a great place to be lost in the mountains. Waterrock Knob is a must-stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway.Located at Milepost 451.2 (just 18 miles from the end of the Parkway), it features the last hiking trail along the Parkway as you travel toward the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.This peak (6,292 ft.) is the 16th highest mountain in the Eastern United States - and the 15th highest of the 40 mountains in North Carolina over 6,000 feet. Have you been to Waterrock Knob? He asked. One wing torn off, the cockpit exposed, no windshield. Packing the right day hike essentials is super important for your trip. The windows were smashed; dark holes appearing to mysteriously lead into another dimension. Graffiti covered the white paint. Members of the Civil Air Patrol found the wreckage near the summit of Waterrock Knob Peak a week later. Looking at the satellite view it appears the hike to the plane crash is about a 3-mile round-trip hike, first up to Waterrock Knob and then across the ridge to . There were several up and down altitude excursions. At one point, I said something funny. The latest music videos, short movies, tv shows, funny and extreme videos. The adventure started at Waterrock Knob. In fact, it is one of dozens of unsalvageable flying machines that crashed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and have been left where they came to rest. My legs and arms were feeling slightly fatigued, but I was still looking forward to the climb. Hope you prayed for the departed. I dont think a flight plan was filedwhich means the pilot may have just been flying by sight and ducking under clouds. 2023 Atlas Obscura. The aircraft had impacted mountainous terrain at about 6,000 feet msl and 11 miles from the destination. Plane crash PARKING LOT Waterrock Knob Visitor Center Waterrock Knob Browning Knob 5719 ft 6292 ft 6240 ft Elevations: Waterrock knob parking lot to peak waterrock peak to Browning Knob Browning knob to plane crash .5 miles .7 miles .05 miles distances: Can You Do Dollywood in One Day? On November 24, 1983, two pilots began their flight from DuPage Airport in West Chicago headed to Jackson County Airport, North Carolina. Its definitely sad but interesting to see! Both occupants were killed. In addition to that, hed been drinking a little the FAA reported a blood-alcohol level of .04 percent. Thank god someone cleaned up the graffiti. This popular trail goes to the Waterrock Knob summit. If you plan to visit, it's recommended to hike with a partner or let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return, as there are many unmarked side trails, difficult terrain, and steep drops along the way. Here's the general gist of how to get to the crash site: Hike the 0.5 mile path to Waterrock Knob, almost to the top. Once you start at the visitor center, you will climb .5 miles up to the top of Waterrock Knob. Ive always wanted to visit North Carolina! Copyright Lil Blue Boo 2023 | Privacy Policy, The Great Smoky Mountains and Western NC Hiking. The Ranger continued on up Waterrock and out of site. The unpredictable weather off a mountain range estimated to sit about 6000 feet above sea level, can change drastically in a short time. It was an unspoken closeness she was expressing; after she and I had shared a few things we had in common with our lives. He went on to explain its an unofficial trail, and the navigation can be treacherous. Shuckstack Fire Tower is an old fire observatory tower in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park! There's a large free parking area, visitor center for more information on the area, and some beautiful views here so it's worth checking out. Hiking to the airplane crash on Waterrock Knob will remind you that life is precious. Debris is scattered everywhere in about a 20 to 30 foot radius. The young girl was about eight-years-old. Robin Jarvis is a travel writer and editor for OnlyInYourState.com with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. This hike is definitely worth it! Before hitting the trail-head, we ran into a family coming back from the hike. Maybe the Ranger was trying to discourage us from going on the unofficial hike. Id like to know why the plane was left there. Press J to jump to the feed. . I love to hike! You take the Waterrock Knob Trail, he said. It was a dark night and the final radar contact was at 6100 feet and 1 mild from the crash site. After making eye-contact with her, I recognized it was Allison from work. The Blue Ridge Parkway spans 469 miles, most of which are right here in North Carolina. And one of those trails holds the wreckage of a plane crash from more than 40 years ago. Thank god someone cleaned up the graffiti. See All . Leave the crash site (and the trail) exactly as they were before your hike. Patrick was imagining how the plane first crashed into the mountain; analyzing the trees above, and how the position of the plane on the ground seemed to reveal clues about the crash. For this portion of the trail, it is important to follow the yellow markers painted on the trees to make sure you stay on the correct trail. Address: Waterrock Knob, North Carolina 28779, USA You probably dont need to reminder, but keep in mind it is a site where people died so keep it respectful when you visit. Look at a map before you go as it's a little tricky. There are some days when you really get the itch to go on a hike. CESSNA 414A airplane, which is an American light-pressured twin engine. It looks so eerie and such a unique hike. Rethink that selfie. Here are some of the best places with cave hikes in North Carolina: Caves are perhaps one of the most fascinating and strange natural wonders out in the wild, especially because of how tempting they are to explore. . It was also pretty easy to follow the well worn path just by looking as well, but the spray painted markings definitely made it easier. Probable cause: Occurrence #1: in flight encounter with weather. In November of 1983, a combination of poor weather and alcohol led to the crash of a small Cessna 414A plane, killing all on board. Note: When hiking to this area please be respectful of the site. Click here are a few of my favorite places near Bryson City. The walk from Waterrock Knob to Browning Knob was approximately 0.7 miles. In my opinion the trail is intermediate because its unmaintained so you are hiking over a lot of tree roots and it requires more awareness to keep on track. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Unfortunately, since the internet has connected everyone. Pedestrian killed by car on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. It was quite a trek! Thank you! The trail begins at the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center and continues for a quarter mile up a well-marked, paved path to an observation point of the valley below. This site is monitored, so please do not remove any items from the crash. - pay close attention to the ground about 50' from the top of Waterrock Knob and you'll see a faded blue arrow spray painted on a large, flat rock. An annual celebration of the region's successful elk reintroduction program. That was my co-worker who cleaned it up! Hike this trail for another .5 mile and you will then reach the top of Browning Knob. You said in your writing of finding plane. Living a simple, creative life in #smalltownusa Bryson City, NC. We said goodbye to our new friends, and began our adventure. And, in the solitude of the trail embarrassed us once again. Waterrock Knob is one of my favorite hikes and its always one that I recommend to visitors. *subject to availability **03/27/2020 . I was the first person to arrive at this Crash Site in 1983. The crash occurred in 1983 as a result of poor weather and alcohol. People had clearly left their mark over the 36 years. Id still like to find some old newspaper articles on the crash if they existand know more about the people who died here. However, by eight-years-old he wasnt getting free ride. Would you hike to this abandoned airplane crash in North Carolina? We made the slow climb up the side of the mountain. The elevation change is said to be equivalent to about 68 flights of stairs. When I can make the trip Ill definitely consider doing this hike, it seems like an interesting one I had no idea how dangerous the Smoky Mountains were for planes. Much of the eight-seat Cessna 414A is still up there on the mountain. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Please feel free to subscribe below fornotifications regarding new blog posts, travel destinations, photography updates and newly available art. Be sure to also check out these other top destinations in the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina: This post may contain affiliate links. Once you reach Browning Knob, you should see another unmarked trail to the left. We are not endorsed by, authorized by, or affiliated with any mentioned attractions. North Carolina Hiking: Cessna 414 Plane Crash & Sunset at Waterrock Knob. The bodies are gone and buried elsewhere. Show 9 More Check-Ins May 29, 2018 Rob H. Amazing view I was able to share with my best friend . To the left, I thought, this must be the way to Browning Knob! How to Get to Heaven from Waterrock Knob. Perfect for escaping the crowds you sometimes find at other park locations! You will receive your first newsletter soon. After navigating rocky outcrops, a steady up and downhill path, and another patch of overgrowth, the trail became thick and somewhat confusing. We were nervous we were not going to get a good view of sunset due to the haze and overcast skies, but by the time we arrived back to the parking lot the haze had cleared and we were able to view one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. A couple of homemade signs nailed to trees a short ways down the path offer tips and warnings for proceeding ahead. Will you be taking the hike? As sad as it is it would be interesting to see this in person especially a plane from the 80s! fornotifications regarding new blog posts, travel destinations, photography updates and newly available art. Waterrock Knob is best known for the hiking trail to its summit. Read more . Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. The hike requires you to hike along the ridge of the mountain, maneuvering between trees, ground roots and boulders along the way.