Beauty Spot hike

[Miss Janet]

"Forest Service is now working on Unaka Mtn Overlook. Trying to revamp it before it was ruined by rednecks!"

I am about as redneck as they come... and yes I am sure I was one of the rednecks hanging out up there back 25-30 years ago. The place was pretty much abandoned well before that time. Even when it was only 4wheel drives that could make that trip in the winter there was a LOT of traffic up there. In the summer... well, you kind of had to use your "parking" etiquette and some nights you just didn't get a spot! I think about half of the kids in Erwin were conceived up there!

It is hard to balance a desired increase in use and protecting what you have created. It will be interesting to see how it is handled.

[Tennessee Viking]

"Forest Service is now working on Unaka Mtn Overlook. Trying to revamp it before it was ruined by rednecks!"

I am about as redneck as they come... and yes I am sure I was one of the rednecks hanging out up there back 25-30 years ago. The place was pretty much abandoned well before that time. Even when it was only 4wheel drives that could make that trip in the winter there was a LOT of traffic up there. In the summer... well, you kind of had to use your "parking" etiquette and some nights you just didn't get a spot! I think about half of the kids in Erwin were conceived up there!

It is hard to balance a desired increase in use and protecting what you have created. It will be interesting to see how it is handled.

Not you Miss Janet. You're an angel. The ones I hate are the ones that vandalized the mountain top. The ones that go up to the top to drink and get high and litter the landscape. Heard stories of it being at one time another Buffalo Mtn and Winged Deer Park.

[Flush2wice]

They used to never close it. It's closed right now and by the looks of it, it's been closed for a while. There's lots of sticks and branches on it that haven't been run over. The best camping spot is right next to it just north of the bald near the spring. (Best spot when the weather is too bad to be up top)That's the spot Marta was talking about and that's where I camped with Sgt. Rock and Tobasco last night. When the road is open it ruins that spot because you get nailed by headlights from passing cars. There's more traffic up there than you would guess.