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The pilot was also determined to have been impaired, with a blood alcohol content of 0.04%. She looked more like her dad than her Caucasian mother. I hollered up the stairs to Marcus, come on, lets go on the hike!. Knowing that two lives were lost at the site, the vibe was pretty heavy. This popular trail goes to the Waterrock Knob summit. But, its a wide trail with plenty of room to stop and catch your breath if you need to. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Take this trail. True! Its definitely sad but interesting to 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. I hung onto his leash with one hand, and used my free hand to grab tree trunks along the trail. I was the first person to arrive at this Crash Site in 1983. Dont be disrespectful, dont leave trash behind, dont graffiti the airplane, and dont take anything with you. Ill admit this Sunday, we were trying to talk ourselves out of hiking. When you do meet new and interesting people, youll find its like waking up from a sound sleep. I found an article in the Mountaineer called How to Get to Heaven from Waterrock Knob from Mike Schoeffel. Be sure to wear hiking boots because the trail is rocky, dont forget your reusable water bottle, and bring a map and compass in case you get lost. Just before you reach the last stretch of trail to the top, you should see a fairly obvious trail leading off to the left, marked with flagging tape. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. We were there last fall and someone had spray painted the plane. People had clearly left their mark over the 36 years. Read more . Theres a large free parking area, visitor center for more information on the area, and some beautiful views here so its worth checking out. I noticed it as a gap in the tall grass at first. We all know that North Carolina has much to offer; however, it's home to only one known plane crash site. I just give you as much information as possible to make that decision for yourself and I hope that helps. All we could hear was brushing of leaves and distant howls from the wind. Did you know that there are several airplane crashes that have happened in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park? OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. The white aluminum caught my attention; nestled in a downward section of the mountain in a quiet place among trees and other plant life. Copyright Lil Blue Boo 2023 | Privacy Policy, The Great Smoky Mountains and Western NC Hiking. Patrick and Tammy, two hikers from South Carolina, arrived at the wreckage just after us. The Blue Ridge Parkway reaches some of its highest points in the Waterrock Knob area, including Richland Balsam (highest point on the Parkway) and Waterrock Knob Visitor Center (highest visitor center on the Parkway). This shed some light on the mystery. 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. Although we were dealing with low visibility, we knew we had reached Browning Knob once the forest cleared and we came to another lookout. Make sure when you visit, however, that you take care to follow all safety precautions listed by the park in question. It was an attempt to keep his bearings, which the FAA referred to as up and down altitude excursions. Renovating a 1960s ranch house and an old train depot. That was my co-worker who cleaned it up! Copyright 2017 CleanBlog | Theme by AirThemes. 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. Graffiti covered the white paint. We passed by the hiker, shoulder-to-shoulder, thanking him for his time, and we followed the path through the brush. Can Sacred Places Impact Our Energy and Our Mood? Lake proponents argued that turning Cades Cove into a body of water would promote tourism (photo by Patrick Jennings/stock.adobe.com), Land of Oz features an immersive experience based on the iconic story of the Wizard of Oz, including characters, the yellow brick road and a visit to Emerald City (photos and compilation by TheSmokies.com), Our site produces editorial content for the purpose of entertainment. Just keep an eye out for the small path. Members of the Civil Air Patrol found the wreckage near the summit of Waterrock Knob Peak a week later. While theres the obviously sad nature of why the plane is there to begin with, Im always interested in hikes that have some site, historical or otherwise, to see. Patrick and Tammy, two hikers from South Carolina, arrived at the wreckage just after us. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. If you get the chance, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is an amazing place to visit. The aircraft had impacted mountainous terrain at about 6,000 feet msl and 11 miles from the destination. Fewer hikers decide to venture this far out. She brushed her hand across the. First you have to climb up Waterrock Knob which is the highes. Upon reaching the parking lot, you will see the visitor center, which is open from 10 AM - 5 PM from mid-April through October. Before hitting the trail-head, we ran into a family coming back from the hike. To learn more, clickhere. Now it's as worse as it's ever been. It was an unspoken closeness she was expressing; after she and I had shared a few things we had in common with our lives. The terrain is fairly difficult with a change in elevation of about 600 feet. Members of the Civil Air Patrol found the wreckage near the summit of Waterrock Knob Peak a week later. If we hike to the top elevation is 6,300 feet. Haha.thats Sam! People are going there and tagging it with spray paint and being disrespectful as many people in the states are. Its not very far: I wouldnt ever go alone to the crash, or too close to dusk. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. And as a hiker, I love a challenging hike thanks for sharing. Last year the door and seats where stolen off the plane. Why did the plane remain? Thats so crazy! The human remains, of course, were returned to the family, and the engines and anything else of value were salvaged. After reaching the Waterrock Knob lookout, you will see a trail to the left. Stay at our historic Sixty-One Park Farmhouse located right in downtown! The windows were smashed; dark holes appearing to mysteriously lead into another dimension. When you visit the crash site, you can tell that the airplane almost cleared the mountain. I was super interested. Hes Siennas sloth and he comes on hikes with us . Its a very good idea to tell multiple people where you are heading, and its probably not a trail you should tackle alone. You can use 'Waterrock Knob Visitor Center' in Google Maps to get to the parking area. Waterrock Knob is one of my favorite hikes and its always one that I recommend to visitors. 2023 Marcus and Jill's Happy Trails. Hiking down the mountainside to the crash was surreal. Maybe the Labor Day weekend was causing us to think about work instead of focusing on a true adventure. Have you been to Waterrock Knob? He asked. Blue Ridge Parkway Hikes near Asheville (Craggy Gardens to Waterrock Knob) . The Mixa' hike Waterrock Knob. By checking this, you agree to our Privacy Policy. Press J to jump to the feed. Do you remember the terrifying crash of USAir Flight 1016 near Charlotte Douglas International Airport? This trail is paved but very steep! 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. I listened intently to his point by point directions. She hung on to me for several minutes. This spray painted rock points the way. See. Book your tickets online for Waterrock Knob, Maggie Valley: See 321 reviews, articles, and 262 photos of Waterrock Knob, ranked No.2 on Tripadvisor among 12 attractions in Maggie Valley. This is very interesting and eerie at the same time. Point to point with a paved section as well as a dirt and tree root based section. The crash occurred in 1983 as a result of poor weather and alcohol. Beautiful sunset, viewed from the Waterrock Knob parking lot upon returning after the hike. The shattered hull has proven a popular spot for graffiti. On November 24, 1983, two pilots began their flight from DuPage Airport in West Chicago headed to Jackson County Airport, North Carolina. 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. It was time to head back. 601. I stayed here and it was just awesome. We are not endorsed by, authorized by, or affiliated with any mentioned attractions. Again, sweeping views of the mountains. All we know is that two men in 1983 were suddenly cast into a situation that was out of their control. Can You Do Dollywood in One Day? The rest of the aircraft was left on the mountainside. 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. And you just stay left. 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%). He looked tired but exuded deep satisfaction. A museum celebrating rare American motorcycles where everything runsand none of it quietly. You also could like hiking at Deep Creek. Pedestrian killed by car on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. Much of the eight-seat Cessna 414A is still up there on the mountain. I think about how this section of the mountain range probably wasnt a trail at the time. Neither the pilot nor passenger survived. It was quite a trek! 20 reviews of Waterrock Knob "Waterrock Knob is part of the Plott Balsalms range. The trail to the Browning Knob plane crash site is called Plott Balsams and is unofficial. A moderately difficult two-mile round trip hike from the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center and trailhead in Sylva, North Carolina lead to the wreckage. While we were gathered at the crash site more people started to come. There are also restrooms available and picnic tables with gorgeous panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. We were so determined to complete a hike that wed carry him piggyback in shifts when he got tired. 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.