2023 Marcus and Jill's Happy Trails. - Cause: Waterrock Knob - Milepost 451.2 - National Park Service Yes. Address: Waterrock Knob, North Carolina 28779, USA There are no engines at the site as they were salvaged soon after the crash. I have an awesome cinematic hiking vlog here for you guys! That crash occurred just 11 years after this one, and was one of the most tragic plane crashes in North Carolina. People had clearly left their mark over the 36 years. Before hitting the trail-head, we ran into a family coming back from the hike. Hes Siennas sloth and he comes on hikes with us . Both occupants were killed. The nearly 360-degree view from Waterrock Knob stretches the eyes over the heart of the Southern Highlands - including . Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Theres a lot of ups and downs so youll probably get a little puffed on the incline, but if you have a reasonable level of fitness, you should be fine. They were drawn to our yellow lab, Odin. Can Sacred Places Impact Our Energy and Our Mood? This site is monitored, so please do not remove any items from the crash. Browning Knob and Waterrock Knob | Map, Guide - AllTrails It is the highest peak in the Plott Balsams and is the 16th-highest mountain in the Eastern United States. Read Also: Elkmont ghost town: Ghost stories that will give you goosebumps. Located at Milepost 451.2, it features the last hiking trail along the Parkway as you travel toward the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The drive to Waterrock Knob along the Blue Ridge Parkway is arguably one of the most beautiful and scenic drives in the country. Hey, I said. The final radar contact was at 6,100 feet and about 1 mile from the crash site. Creepy Trail Leads To Airplane Crash Ruins In North Carolina Browning Knob and Waterrock Knob | Map, Guide - Sylva, NC | AllTrails The remains of a German plane still sit in the Norwegian wood where it crashed in 1942. The adventure started at Waterrock Knob. Spinosaurus might still be there close somewhere. Your email address will not be published. He was just a little low.. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Once you reach Browning Knob, you should see another unmarked trail to the left. The vision of the plane crash is now fixed as part of my memory. Top Hikes in Western North Carolina - The Blue Ridge Mountains Upload, share, download and embed your videos. Its about two-hours round trip from here!. Read more in my about section. The hike to the plane crash is about a 2.5 mile round-trip hike, first up to Waterrock Knob and then across the ridge to Browning Knob. John Gullion, Managing Editor at the Citizen Tribune, is a freelance contributor for TheSmokies.com LLC the parent company of TheSmokies.com and HeyOrlando.com. Because this hike is difficult, you will more than likely get hungry! Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Hiking to a Plane Crash in the Smoky Mountains via Waterrock and See. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Today the wreckage is still on Browning Knob and is a reminder of the many dangers that are present in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Here, you will see the third trail on your left. While we do our best to bring you the most up-to-date information, TheSmokies.com LLC makes no warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of any content contained within. The hike continues for about .7 milesalong the ridge of the mountainbut with a lot of elevation change (the equivalent of about 68 flights of stairs!) Waterrock Knob is located at milepost 451.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway and features the last hiking trail along the parkway before reaching the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. After navigating rocky outcrops, a steady up and downhill path, and another patch of overgrowth, the trail became thick and somewhat confusing. Hiked 10/30 2nd time doing this trail and 2nd time doing the entire thing in the clouds!! The white aluminum caught my attention; nestled in a downward section of the mountain in a quiet place among trees and other plant life. PDF Plott Balsam Trail Hike to Plane Crash - Ashley Hackshaw / Lil Blue Boo I saw families with kids doing the trail while I was there and people with dogs I took my dog too. There were some trail markers tied to trees, but they werent as reliable because some had been blown away in storms. The aircraft then descended and crossed the snowbird VOR at about 6,700 feet. Neither the pilot nor passenger survived. I asked the family if theyd been to the plane crash. 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. Thank you! We were there last fall and someone had spray painted the plane. Guest columnist: You can love Jesus and strippers at the same time. Oh and also, fuck Lauren and Trent . If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can. Now it's 100% covered with graffiti. Pedestrian killed by car on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Jerry Mattox, [footer_backtotop href="#top" text="Return to Top"] To the left, I thought, this must be the way to Browning Knob! See All . GPS coordinates: 3527'37.2N 8308'27.0W. Rethink that selfie. The rest of the debris is slowly being reclaimed by the forest or has been carried off by visitors over the years. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/38801. The two men onboard didn't survive the crash. WATERROCK KNOB & BROWNING KNOB - A Walk In The Woods Both people on board died. Required fields are marked *. The first half of the hike is straight down the ridge and then you have to hike back up the spine of the connecting knobs. After reaching the Waterrock Knob lookout, you will see a trail to the left. Not only are the views spectacular but the flowers and wildlife are too: The sides of the trail were covered with butterflies when we went, so many it looked like the mountains were moving: Just as you get to the top of Waterrock Knob you will notice a small unmarked trail to the leftyou might even miss it if you werent looking for it. Some North Carolina Cherokee have been keeping their history alive for decades with a single play. Copyright Lil Blue Boo 2023 | Privacy Policy, The Great Smoky Mountains and Western NC Hiking. You can find a series of cave trails in North Carolina, including Boones Cave Park whichs great for children, Torys Den Cave which will hustle you to a tiny cave steeped in local history, and Hibriten Cave which requires the work of a GPS to locate the tiny wonder. Youll have to be real careful, He said. An annual celebration of the region's successful elk reintroduction program. Can You Do Dollywood in One Day? We said goodbye to Patrick and Tammy; telling them about a few places to visit during their stay. This nearly 40-year-old plane wreckage is located near the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. There are very few small plane crash sites in North Carolina, and you can find one of them hidden deep in the woods on a trail that runs along a ridge. One wing torn off, the cockpit exposed, no windshield. Have you been to Waterrock Knob? He asked. A museum celebrating rare American motorcycles where everything runsand none of it quietly. 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? If the above hike to an abandoned airplane crash in North Carolina whets your appetite for adventure, read on! Waterrock Knob Plane Crash NC - downsouthliving.org 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. Photos (3,774) Directions. This Guide Will Help You Decide, BREAKING: Gatlinburg SkyTrail at SkyLift Park is now open, Cades Cove Lake: The effort to turn the Cove into a body of water, Land of Oz in NC: What its like to visit the once-closed theme park, Is the Laurel Falls Hike Easy? Jun 25, 2018. We passed by the hiker, shoulder-to-shoulder, thanking him for his time, and we followed the path through the brush. 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. After traversing a few other trails, visitors will come upon the wreckage of a Cessna 414A which crashed in 1983. The trail turns to dirt and continues for another quarter mile until Waterrock Knob. We took some time along the hike back to really appreciate the beauty of the forest and fall foliage. This hike is definitely worth it! She looked more like her dad than her Caucasian mother. Hiking down the mountainside to the crash was surreal. He had friends in the area and had flown into the Jackson County Airport before. Man discovers 35-year-old plane wreckage on Appalachian Trail PLANE DOWN A plane crash that occurred in November 1983 is now the end-point for an off-beat hike that starts at Waterrock Knob, one of WNC's most popular outdoor destinations. The aircraft had impacted mountainous terrain at about 6,000 feet msl and 11 miles from the destination. How to Get to Heaven from Waterrock Knob. I think about how this section of the mountain range probably wasnt a trail at the time. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. If we hike to the top elevation is 6,300 feet. I usually describe this kind of place as Narnia: Its not the easiest hike, but very doable if you can climb over fallen trees and jump across some small mud pits: The canopy is pretty thick so the vegetation is mostly ferns, fungi and mosswhich I love: Theres a lot of photograph if you take your time: This looked like a waterfall of roots to me.a rootfall? At least, this was his recollection. And be prepared. Make sure you leave your thoughts in the comments, especially if you know of other crashed planes hiding in the wilderness of North Carolina. Browning Knob is less traveled and isolated from other official National Park Service trails. Did you see the plane crash site? Two people died in this crash. Well now I want to go back and rewatch that. His wife was suddenly standing by my side, close, like she was my friend. I was ahead of Marcus with Odin on his leash in the lead. The hike is about 2 miles long. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. At the top of Waterrock Knob, you will get a great view of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The Waterrock Knob Plane Crash - Here's A Step By Step Hiking Guide The walk from Waterrock Knob to Browning Knob was approximately 0.7 miles. Odin still had energy, which increased the challenge for me. The main reason we stopped was to walk to the plane crash site, about 2.5 miles off the main trail. All Rights Reserved, Marcus and Jill Thompson. There are 41 sparks and recreation areas across the state, and each one seems to be more beautiful than the next. . I was confused. Oh the main graffiti tag is coming off tomorrow. Knowing that two lives were lost at the site, the vibe was pretty heavy. The probable cause of the crash was determined to be due to low visibility from low lying clouds and precipitation. I took some photos of the wreckage, and I have even more mental photos to share through written words. If you get the chance, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is an amazing place to visit. Once you are done enjoying the view from Browning Knob, be on the lookout for a small, unmarked trail to the left. There are also restrooms by the visitor center which is your last chance to go before you start hiking. We hiked to one of them recently: The wreckage of this particular plane crash has been sitting there for 35 years: The story goes that on November 24, 1983, a Cessna 414 was flying from West Chicago to the Jackson County Airport here in the NC mountains. 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. Once you start at the visitor center, you will climb .5 miles up to the top of 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! from Mike Schoeffel. Plane Crash at Waterrock Knob - Sylva, North Carolina - Atlas Obscura Again, sweeping views of the mountains. *subject to availability **03/27/2020 . Wed love to hear about them! It was a plan that worked, until it didnt. The remains of the plane are still scattered along the hillside making it a super neat place to explore and . Great eye! The plane could have made it over the mountain if it had just been about 150 feet higher. The hike offers epic and sweeping views of the North Carolina mountains, including from one of the spurs, a glimpse of Ghost Town in Maggie Valley off in the distance. Take this trail. Where can I hike to a cave in North Carolina? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check this box to receive emails from Journey to the Destination. Click here are a few of my favorite places near Bryson City. We started early, only 3 other cars in lot. A highly-rated trail for hikers and explorers alike, the trail is two miles . Waterrock Knob is one of my favorite hikes and its always one that I recommend to visitors. After crossing snowbird VOR the aircraft turned south and again there were altitude excursions. The windows were smashed; dark holes appearing to mysteriously lead into another dimension. As Im getting older I dont do it as much as I should and your pictures helped me see things I dont see much of anymore. Learn how your comment data is processed.