Woody's Knob (Charlie Woody Mountain), at an elevation of 4,170 feet, is a summit or "knob" in the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

and one of the highest points in the unincorporated village of Little Switzerland and in

Mitchell County, North Carolina Mitchell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,903. Its county seat is Bakersville. The county is home to Spruce Pine, nicknamed the "Mineral City of the World", and Bak ...

Geography

Described by North Carolina Geodetic Survey of 1982, the summit of Woody's Knob is located approximately 2.10 statute miles (3.4 km) north northwest of the village of Little Switzerland and 3.25 statute miles (5.2 km) southwest of

Spruce Pine, North Carolina Spruce Pine is the largest town in Mitchell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,194 at the 2020 census. It is one of the only places in the world where high-purity quartz can be found. History Spruce Pine was founded i ...

. The spike station is a standard NCGS bronze disk stamped "SPRUCE PINE NCDOT 4170 ft" set into the top of a round concrete monument 30 cm in diameter projecting 5 cm above ground located directly underneath the Spruce Pine Lookout and Firetower, which was constructed in 1958 as part of the Forest Service's efforts to detect woodland fires. Unmanned and standing 68.9 feet in height, today it serves as a communications transmission facility. By vehicle, the mountain top is 5.1 statute miles from uptown Little Switzerland and the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and National Scenic Byway, All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for through 29 counties in Virginia and ...

. Approaching Woody's Knob on Old Chestnut Grove Church Road, Neideiger Road, Lake Laurel and Emerald Mine Road; gravel paved Firetower Road terminates at the grass covered summit. Along with the firetower mentioned above, at the mountain top stands four concrete block electric and generator houses, a wooden outhouse, one micro-wave tower, numerous vhf and uhf receivers and transceivers, a U.S. Forestry Service air monitoring station and a 180' high Homeland Security/North Carolina Highway Patrol Communications Viper Tower.

Waypoints

From the firetower and above the tree line, a 360° panorama, covering no less than 4 counties, can be seen. To the north northeast are the white feldspar cliffs of Chalk Mountain above

Grandfather Mountain Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina List of North Carolina state parks, state park near Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet (1,812 m), it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blu ...

(5964 ft.), Hawksbill (4020 ft.) and Table Rock Mountain (4100 ft.) can be seen towards the east with

Marion Marion or MARION may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Marion (band), a British alternative rock group * ''Marion'' (miniseries), a 1974 miniseries * ''Marion'' (1920 film), an Italian silent film * ''Marion'' (2024 film), a UK short People a ...

, the

and Lynn Gap to the south south east. From south to north rise the spruce and fir covered eastern slopes of the Black Mountains comprising at least a dozen peaks along the visible ridge with Mt. Mitchell (6684 ft.) following close to a dozen Rocks, Mounts, Gaps, Hills, Peaks and Cones northwards terminating with Celo Knob (6327 ft.) abruptly cresting downwards to Burnsville. Due west downhill is Emerald Mine Road, Bushy Creek, Crabtree Mt. and Hoot Owl Mine. In the valley beyond is Micaville and the South Toe River, with Burnsville and eastern

Yancey County Yancey County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,470. Its county seat is Burnsville. History The area of Yancey County was inhabited by the Cherokee prior to European settlem ...

towards the horizon. Northwards, completing the 360° view, the Roan Highlands Massif stretches along the Mitchell County, NC and Carter County, TN state line.

Climate

The weather atop Woody's Knob ranges from one extreme to another. During the summer months, early morning fog is frequent and daytime temperatures average in the low 70's to low 50's at night. Wintertime, temperatures easily dip into double digits below zero. Add to that, a wind chill factor caused by the prevailing wintertime north westerlies which have been measured from atop the firetower at hurricane-force winds. Ice storms can occur as early as late November which can make traveling to the top of the mountain a challenge. Average rainfall on the mountaintop is 58 inches and normal snowfall is 20 to 25 inches annually. Springtime arrives late as flower buds and leaves aren't in full bloom until after late April. Rhododendron, mountain laurel and wildflowers are blooming by mid May and blackberries and strawberries are ready to pick by mid summer while fall colors on the mountain are at their most brilliant by the last week of October.

Flora and fauna

Wildlife in the area include

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known Common name, commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, North, Central America, Central and South America. It is the ...

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland game bird native to North America, one of two extant species of Turkey (bird), turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey (''M. g. dom ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

, various species of

hummingbirds Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

, cardinals,

hawks Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica. The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and othe ...

owls Owls are birds from the Order (biology), order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly Solitary animal, solitary and Nocturnal animal, nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vis ...

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

s, eastern gray squirrels,

southern flying squirrel The southern flying squirrel (''Glaucomys volans''), also known commonly as the assapan, is a species of squirrel in the family Sciuridae. ''G. volans'' is one of three species of flying squirrels found in North America. It is found in deciduou ...

eastern box turtle The eastern box turtle (''Terrapene carolina carolina'') is a subspecies within a group of hinge-shelled turtles normally called box turtles. ''T. c. carolina'' is native to the Eastern United States. The eastern box turtle is a subspec ...

eastern diamondback rattlesnake The eastern diamondback rattlesnake (''Crotalus adamanteus'') is a species of pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the Southeastern United States. It is the largest rattlesnake species and one of the heaviest venomous sna ...

s and

scarlet kingsnake The scarlet kingsnake (''Lampropeltis elapsoides'') is a species of kingsnake found in the southeastern and eastern portions of the United States. Like all kingsnakes, they are venomous snake, nonvenomous. They are found in pine flatwoods, hydric ...

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

s and an occasional appearance of a

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

with cubs or a

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...

Gallery

File:Fire_Tower_@_Woody's_Knob.jpg, Fire Tower at Summit File:Cabin_From_The_Valley_11-3-07.JPG, Western Slope & Towers at Summit File:Celo_Knob_8-1-09.JPG, Celo Knob (6,327') Southwest View File:Cabin-Mts._8-1-2011_49.JPG, Sunrise Behind Hawksbill & Tablerock File:The_Black_Mountains.jpg, Black Mountains (Fall) File:View_From_Tower_19_8-1-09.JPG, Black Mountains (Summer) File:Cabin-Mts._8-1-2011_182.JPG, Sunset File:Sunset_July_08_050.JPG, Sunset File:View_Fog_4_11-05.jpg, West-Southwest View Towards Burnsville File:Cabin-Mts._8-1-2011_167.JPG, Boone Knob; Northwest View File:Cabin-Mts._8-1-2011_50.JPG, Local Population File:Cabin-Mts._8-1-2011_15.JPG, Local Population File:Western_View.JPG, Snowfall; January, 2011 File:Snow Fall At Woody's Knob Summit.jpg, Snowfall at Summit File:Woody's_Knob;_Antique_Farm_Equipment.JPG, Farm Equipment File:Southwest View.jpg, Rime Ice File:Western View From Woody's Knob.jpg, Rime Ice File:Woody's_Knob_&_Towers.JPG, Woody's Knob From 221

References

External links

* * * * {{Mitchell County, North Carolina Mountains of North Carolina Landforms of Mitchell County, North Carolina