But, its a wide trail with plenty of room to stop and catch your breath if you need to. Plane Crash Site from 1983, Waterrock Knob, North Carolina, USA. The trail starts at the last path on the left before the summit. Sample Page; ; All Rights Reserved, Marcus and Jill Thompson. And some of the trees along the trail have been marked with yellow spray paint to make it easier. This blog post covers the hike to the Cessna 414 plane crash deep in the mountains of North Carolina and where to watch one of the most beautiful sunsets in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Waterrock Knob Plane Crash Heres A Step By Step Hiking Guide, these are my favorite beginner hiking shoes, I like to have a couple of these energy gels. A moderately difficult two-mile round trip hike from the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center and trailhead in Sylva, North Carolina lead to the wreckage. They would never reach their destination, and the aftermath of the crash has lied deep in the mountains of North Carolina ever since. Waterrock Knob - Milepost 451.2. Ill admit this Sunday, we were trying to talk ourselves out of hiking. However, by eight-years-old he wasnt getting free ride. This is not a maintained path but there are plenty of forums online about how to . Now it's 100% covered with graffiti. She brushed her hand across the. The crash occurred in 1983 as a result of poor weather and alcohol. The bodies are gone and buried elsewhere. Before hitting the trail-head, we ran into a family coming back from the hike. The entire trek to the plane and back is a little more than two miles round trip. He listened intently. Your email address will not be published. Due to these panoramic views, Waterrock Knob has become one of the most popular locations to witness sunset or sunrise along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Deep Gap Trail at Mt. Patrick and Tammy, two hikers from South Carolina, arrived at the wreckage just after us. The walk from Waterrock Knob to Browning Knob was approximately 0.7 miles. It can be muddy and slippery if its been raining, so just take your time as you walk over the tree roots. The aircraft had impacted mountainous terrain at about 6,000 feet msl and 11 miles from the destination. Moderate 4.6 (1494) Blue Ridge Parkway. There are also restrooms by the visitor center which is your last chance to go before you start hiking. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! I smiled and turned in the other direction. He was right on course, the Civil Air Patrol Major explained to a Chicago newspaper in the winter of 1983. Unfortunately, there has been several tragic airplane crashes in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Its a sudden break from solitude to a social experience. An ideal spot for watching sunrise and sunsets across the rugged mountains, Waterrock Knob Visitor Center sits at almost 6,000 feet elevation. It is the modern-day retelling of the Icarus story of flying too close to the sun. Areas; NC West and Mountains . Did you see the plane crash site? The airplane never reached its destination and the two people on board were killed in the crash. While sad, this hike is definitely unique and interesting. Subscribe to our newsletter and receive a FREE PRINTABLE TRAVEL PLANNER! To learn more, clickhere. Glad we saw the same thing. Because this hike is difficult, you will more than likely get hungry! They also found the frozen bodies of the two victims who had sadly died on impact. I found an article in the Mountaineer called How to Get to Heaven from Waterrock Knob from Mike Schoeffel. Most often these travelers offer an interesting departure from the quiet along the trail. I hollered up the stairs to Marcus, come on, lets go on the hike!. Can You Do Dollywood in One Day? Download Millions Of Videos Online. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/38801. It is definitely a unique hike, Although this is a site created by a tragic event, I really like sites like these abandoned buildings, vehicles, planes, etc., purely for the artistic side of them. If you are spending some time in North Carolina or if you are driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway, hiking this trail will make a fantastic addition to your trip. My son-in-law, grandson and I hiked up Waterrock Knob and followed the one mile plus trail to the site of a plane crash on the side of this mountain. I was the first person to arrive at this Crash Site in 1983. What! And, a Hawaiian woman who I will most likely never see again, held my hand, as if she were one of my closest friends. The grandmother laughed and grabbed my arm. The path is clear and paved for the first bit before turning to dirt and leading up several stone staircases. . A moderately . This one is a fairly easy trail in terms of skill. I listened intently to his point by point directions. 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. The trail itself is a very difficult seven-mile hike to the top of Grandfather Mountain. I stayed here and it was just awesome. Id still like to find some old newspaper articles on the crash if they existand know more about the people who died here. We talked about the dented metal and torn off debris; and tried to visualize what had happened. Located just 18 miles from the southern end of the Parkway and farther away from larger cities, it has a more remote and quiet feel to it. One wing torn off, the cockpit exposed, no windshield. 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! After traversing a few other trails, visitors will come upon the wreckage of a Cessna 414A which crashed in 1983. as well as check out the abandoned plane crash of a Cessna 414A that happened back in 1983. Graffiti covered the white paint. Tragic story. How could that be, you ask? Thats so crazy! Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. They also found the frozen bodies of the two victims who had sadly died on impact. The two of them squatted down beside Odin. Thank you for reading this post on how to hike to an airplane crash via the Waterrock Knob trail. Meteorological conditions at the crash site included low clouds and precipitation. People have absolutely no respect. Which state parks should I visit in North Carolina? Completely agree! I was ahead of Marcus with Odin on his leash in the lead. Jun 25, 2018. Where to park for the Waterrock Knob Plane Crash hike. I took some photos of the wreckage, and I have even more mental photos to share through written words. The remains of a doomed Antarctic plane, buried beneath layers of ice and snow, await those willing to do a bit of digging. Being less than 10 miles from Maggie Valley, it is the closest hike and Visitors Center. Both occupants lost their lives in the crash, so it is important to be respectful of the crash site when visiting. They were drawn to our yellow lab, Odin. A visitors' center is located near its summit and a . Much of the Cessna 414 is still up there on the mountain. That crash occurred just 11 years after this one, and was one of the most tragic plane crashes in North Carolina. There are some days when you really get the itch to go on a hike. Youre there, its right up ahead. 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. You can un-subscribe at any time. I love to hike! The remains of the iconic train crash from the movie The Fugitive can still be found rusting along the Great Smoky Railroad. I wrote about it here in 2015. The crash site was eerie, especially knowing that my dad was piloting a similar plane in the 1990s and survived a crash. The wreckage was uncovered by Civil Air Patrol members a week later near the summit of Waterrock Knob. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Odins ears perked up. Read more in my about section. This trail is rocky, narrow . Again, this area is full of little trails or paths and steep drops. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Our drive to Waterrock Knob along the parkway began with sunny skies, but quickly transitioned into an eerie, but mystical, hazy day with fog and clouds sweeping between the mountains as we increased in elevation. Learn how your comment data is processed. 20 reviews of Waterrock Knob "Waterrock Knob is part of the Plott Balsalms range. The plane could have made it over the mountain if it had just been about 150 feet higher. She brushed her hand across the soft whitish golden fur on Odins head without hesitation. I thought about our hikes 20 years ago, when our son our Alex was five-years-old. OP watch out for dinos!! A black smoke monster chased him away before he had the chance to look. It begins as a paved trail, then moves to a dirt and rocky trail, and there are a few small sections with stairs. The cause of the crash was determined to be a combination of weather conditions/poor visibility and alcohol (the pilots blood alcohol level was 0.04%). There are the remnants of an old Cessna plane that crashed there many years ago that you can hike to. Neither the pilot nor passenger survived. Your email address will not be published. Keep these hiking tips in mind: It is important to remember that the two men on the airplane died in the crash. 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. Once you are done enjoying the view from Browning Knob, be on the lookout for a small, unmarked trail to the left. This spray painted rock points the way. Living a simple, creative life in #smalltownusa Bryson City, NC. I recommend bringing lunch with you to enjoy at the top of Browning Knob. 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. In my blog I never try and say whether you should or shouldnt do a hike. Waterrock Knob has the highest elevation on the Parkway. The final radar contact was at 6,100 feet and about 1 mile from the crash site. See All . And, in the solitude of the trail embarrassed us once again. . Members of the Civil Air Patrol found the wreckage near the summit of Waterrock Knob Peak a week later. Its not right off the side after the knob and its NOT.. And its very very difficult and could take hours. We started early, only 3 other cars in lot. The last recorded elevation of the airplane was about 6,000 ft. I was confused. Or perhaps in this case, maybe not quite close enough. What a good movie. For us, this happens on most weekends. The white aluminum caught my attention; nestled in a downward section of the mountain in a quiet place among trees and other plant life. They were drawn to our yellow lab, Odin. I asked the family if theyd been to the plane crash. Due to the rugged terrain of the region, only the engines were salvageable. Have you hiked to this plane crash before? The trail to the Browning Knob plane crash site is called Plott Balsams and is unofficial. If you choose to click on them and make a purchase, I may earn a small fee at no additional cost to you. Guest columnist: You can love Jesus and strippers at the same time. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. We all know that North Carolina has much to offer; however, it's home to only one known plane crash site. I dont think a flight plan was filedwhich means the pilot may have just been flying by sight and ducking under clouds. On November 24, 1983, a Cessna 414 was en route to the Jackson County Airport from Chicago when it crashed into the mountainside just before 6:00 pm. All rights reserved. Only a short detour off the beaten path of one of North Carolina's most notable sunset hikes, lies a Cessna 414 plane crash site full of eerie history. 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!) 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. Its going to work your legs. 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. Patrick was imagining how the plane first crashed into the mountain; analyzing the trees above, and how the, Feeling the Energy at The Airport Mesa Vortex, A Trail of Luminaries through Old Town Albuquerque. Then I looked at my pictures from a year out so ago and realized that indeed it has been cleaned. Martin likely would have made it the rest of the way without much incident, had he been a couple of hundred feet higher. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Read Also: 5 abandoned places in the Smokies you didnt know existed. Oh the main graffiti tag is coming off tomorrow. Down that trail about 100 feet, youll be able to see the plane in the distance down the hill. It was a dark night and the final radar contact was at 6100 feet and 1 mild from the crash site. The rest of the aircraft was left on the mountainside. 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. The Perfect 4 Day Miami Itinerary for Travelers. It is often used but remains off the beaten path. General questions and FAM tours: rjarvis@onlyinyourstate.com. Once you reach Browning Knob, you should see another unmarked trail to the left. 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. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. We passed by the hiker, shoulder-to-shoulder, thanking him for his time, and we followed the path through the brush. Did you know that there are several airplane crashes that have happened in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park?