I mountain biked all up in here a few days ago. Pretty amazing desolate spot.

This is fantastic! Thank you for identifying the visible mountain peaks. I just hiked there yesterday and was amazed by the beauty. I did see the sunflowers, but the sunflower field is on the road down toward the main parking lot from the Pond Mountain Peak. August is a good time to find them. I plan to go back with my bike soon and ride to the tri-state marker.

@bigzach322

2 жыл бұрын

I've approached using that road on other visits, probably more scenic than this version.

We were there in fall 2020 best kept secret in northwest area.

@bigzach322

3 жыл бұрын

I agree, never anyone there

Still as beautiful as it was in 1982 when friends shared Pond Mountain with our family, I still remember the wind.

Visibility was insane that day! Beautiful!

@bigzach322

6 жыл бұрын

Yup really couldn't be better, but the good thing about the hike is you don't need good visibility to see Mt. Rogers or the Amphibolites

Thanks excellent video!

Very nice Zachary

@bigzach322

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tim!

Never heard of this spot. Comparable views to Grayson Highlands it seems, so I'm gonna have to check it out.

@bigzach322

6 жыл бұрын

Better views than Grayson Highlands in my opinion

Thanks for sharing this nice area with great views. Any idea if you can do dispersed camping there?

@bigzach322

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, you can usually camp on game land. www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Hunting/Game-Land-Maps/Mountain/Pond-Mountain.pdf

Wow going there this Saturday and never knew about this place. I hear there are sunflowers and combine that with mountain views yes please! Using Google maps to take me to parking. Coming from Asheville

@bigzach322

4 жыл бұрын

I never saw any sunflowers. If your unfamiliar with the area I suggest starting at the main entrance instead, it's easier to reach by car goo.gl/maps/LypRXcdzyiFcoKUb7

@ashleylee1776

4 жыл бұрын

@@bigzach322 perfect yes that's where Google maps is taking me. Can't wait thank you

Great video, haven't been up their in several years we use to ride motocycles up their every weekend.

Absolutely stunning! I need to go check that area out in the future.

@bigzach322

6 жыл бұрын

It was awesome

Excellent video with naming all of the peaks! Just saw a post on this area on FB and found your video while searching for info.

@bigzach322

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Rich, glad you found it. If you want to hike it check the game land gate closures on the website, you can drive almost all of the way to Pond Mt summit when both gates are open.

Gosh this is a beautiful area

@bigzach322

6 жыл бұрын

Yup sure was

Can you do any driving? Or is it strictly hiking on the trail

@bigzach322

2 жыл бұрын

Most of it is strictly hiking, although during turkey season you can drive almost all the way to the Pond Mountain summit.

Visited for the 3rd time this year yesterday and the weather and views was comparable to your video. I traveled up the forest road from the southeast. I would like to visit the area from the location you started. Was that from the Burnt School Road ?

@bigzach322

4 жыл бұрын

Yes it was at the end of that road, on the map you should see a church or cemetery at the end where the official parking is located.

I'm heading up there and my map shows it to be 5.3 miles. I'm wondering if you took the last fork to the left to add up some miles? I'm worried that my map isn't correct now. by the way, I'm subscribing! Thanks for all the id on the mountain peaks

@bigzach322

4 жыл бұрын

What map is that? I've never seen a map of that area that has mileage of the game land specifically.

Zachary, I did this hike yesterday but I couldn’t find the tri-State marker. After I passed the abandoned house and descended on the trail, I never could figure out where I went wrong. There were a left and a right fork just past the house, so I’m sure I took the wrong one. Any guidance after passing the house?

@bigzach322

4 жыл бұрын

You might have taken a left instead of staying straight, the road to the corner descends a bit towards a tree farm and the marker is in a group of trees before the tree farm border.

@tombwaits27

4 жыл бұрын

After I re-read your directions, I don’t think I went far enough down the trail. I didn’t get close to that tree farm that you said was just past the marker. Plus I saw a black bear and cubs come out of the brush just below me, so I turned around.

@bigzach322

4 жыл бұрын

@@tombwaits27 Yes it's more than a half-mile from the house.

@randygoodman7183

3 жыл бұрын

Good Decision. I like to hike there this fall but hesitate to hike it alone for a number of reasons. If there is anyone else that is going to run into a Mother Bear with cubs it would be me with my bad luck.

Was there any christmas trees left on the property?

@bigzach322

6 жыл бұрын

Yup there were a bunch on the small bald near the end of the video

@nealhaga9274

6 жыл бұрын

Do you know if that was on the WMA or private land? Great Video.

@bigzach322

6 жыл бұрын

It's within the game land

@finleyg1181

3 жыл бұрын

yeah

Awesome video, my grandfather has a cabin in Tennessee, we will ride four wheelers up to that abandoned house. Some history on the abandoned house is that a rich doctor built it in 1989 and he had a personal helicopter and would fly to it. As the years progressed he started going blind and/or developed tunnel vision, eventually the house was sold, (possibly) to Appalachian state university, but I am not sure. The current owners live near Raleigh and never come up. I was up there today and actually drove my truck up to that house by coming up through that Christmas tree farm right past the 3 corner mark. 4x4 is needed.

@bigzach322

4 жыл бұрын

It was transferred to the state with the help of the Blue Ridge Conservancy www.ourstate.com/pond-mountain/

@hwsimmons9560

4 жыл бұрын

@@bigzach322 Interesting read! Concerning the current owners I was talking about, I was going off of Ashe county GIS map. I did look at the blueridge conservancy map and the small section of land that the vacant cabin is sitting on, is between Cherokee national forest and the pond mountain game lands. The land/vacant cabin (according to the map) seems to be owned by neither the game lands or Cherokee national forest. I am glad the conservancy owns so much. Where people will be able to enjoy this amazing country side for a long time to come! By the way, when the article you linked talked about a new owner, a man named Walter Clark from Raleigh. That's not the same person I was talking about in my initial comment.

The only Stone Mountain I know of in NC, is this one: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Mountain_(North_Carolina)

@bigzach322

4 жыл бұрын

There are at least 7 Stone Mountains in NC, possibly more that aren't indexed. listsofjohn.com/searchres?textsearch=stone+mountain&Search=Name&State=NC