The Roan Mountain section of the 2,194 mile Appalachian Trail is considered one of the most beautiful sections of the trail, primarily due to the presence of a series of balds in the area. Sunrise is the time to enjoy the balds there, if you are up for an early morning wake up call. As it turns out, the sunrise hike to Round Bald on the Grassy Ridge section of balds in the Roan Highlands was a highlight of the trip. Philip loved it so much that he hiked it both mornings. The little one and I joined him the second day. Our reward was breakfast at the Pizza Bakery shop in Roan Mountain where the cheese biscuits were like fry bread.
The balds in the Southern Appalachian Mountains are summits covered by grasses and shrubs rather than forests. These mountaintop meadows have a long history of livestock grazing, but they are quickly reclaimed by the forest when annual grazing is interrupted. The balds have been present from the time the first naturalists visited the region. Although there are many hypotheses, their origin and cause has remained a mystery.
This was my first ever leaf-peeping trip. To be honest I wondered a bit whether an 8-hour trip would really be worth the effort since we could only stay two nights. Although we might have missed the peak color by a week, I was blown away by the colors and this won’t be my last leaf pilgrimage.
Our spacious campsite was surrounded by tall trees displaying the brilliant yellow/red/orange fall colors.
The campground has 12 miles of hiking trails in addition to the nearby AT. We went to the playground and then took a short hike down a nearby stream-side trail.
The camp store also had a nice trail.
I would not let Philip look at the scenery along the roads since they were so windy and steep.
Philip and I tag-teamed our visit down to the Miller Homestead while J took a nap in the car. The Miller Homestead in Roan Mountain memorializes the way of life and the grit and courage of the Appalachian mountain folks. Their self-sufficient farmstead included the barn, corn crib, hog pen, root cellar, smoke house, chicken house, and spring house.
Dave and Louise Miller began the 200 acre farmstead in 1870 when they first circled their wagons here. Their son Nathaniel built the white frame house with the help of family and friends in 1907. Three generations of Millers farmed the land until the 1960s.
The period furnishings are well preserved.
We had a few animal encounters during the trip. A persistent raccoon came by each night checking for snacks. Of course, deer were everywhere. I really should have expected to see bears, especially on the Appalachian Trail. Philip even carries bear spray with him. We did see a couple on the way home, and that started my interest in the “Tooth and Claw” podcast.
Next time we come to Roan Mountain we will try to come in June during the annual Rhododendron Festival. On this trip, the fall leaves provided their own type of awesome display. I bet the rhododendron are equally beautiful.