Max Patch...Really Cool But Really Cold

Max Patch
Location: North Carolina off exit 7 of Interstate 40


Max Patch is an amazing place to visit in North Carolina. This mountaintop bald offers breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountain landscape that surrounds it. Only an hour and a half away from Knoxville, this beautiful mountaintop is well worth the drive.

I was personally very impressed by Max Patch. At first I was a bit hesitant about our adventure into the mountains. The only directions I could find to Max Patch were from other hikers, but I couldn't find directions from any national park or national forest websites. This made me a bit nervous. Also, the directions indicated that a few hundred feet after exiting the interstate we would be continuing our journey down a dirt road. This sounded a bit sketchy to me...and reminded me of a horror movie involving inbred, cannibalistic mountain men that I saw in high school. Luckily, my experience at Max Patch was nothing like what I saw in that movie.

One of the first things I was impressed by was how well the roads were labeled, despite being dirt roads. My directions indicated that the dirt road would fork and I would need to keep left. I envisioned this turn in our journey being badly labeled and quite confusing. Instead it was just the opposite. All along the dirt road, there were plenty of adequate wooden signs indicating that we were heading in the right direction. And when we reached the fork in the road, the signs were so clear and informative that there was not a doubt in my mind as I veered left at the fork. The directions I had printed off the internet also turned out to be extremely helpful and accurate. They even gave the approximate distances we would travel before reaching the fork and then continuing down the next road towards Max Patch. It was really almost impossible to miss Max Patch.

As you approach Max Patch, a nice gravel parking lot appears on the left. This parking lot not only indicates the trail leading to the top of Max Patch, but it also provides ample parking for the visitors of Max Patch. Although made of gravel, the lot was in good condition. It was obvious that the park rangers had not let the condition of the parking area deteriorate. It's always a great start to any hike when the trail can easily be found because of a well-kept parking area. Hikes are just not as enjoyable when you get lost just trying to find the trail head.


The bald itself was absolutely spectacular. You really feel like your on top of the world when you stand up there. Sadly, it was cloudy part of the time we were there, so our panoramic views of the surrounding Smokies were blocked by some heavy cloud coverage sometimes. The views we could see during the breaks in the dense clouds were breathtaking.

It's really nice to retreat from the city for a bit and take some time to just slow down. Places like Max Patch provide an excellent spot to do that. On top of that mountain, the only thing I could hear was wind blowing gustily across the bald. Up there you just stop, breath in the fresh air, and take some time to reflect on things. I think we all need this some time, and I wish I had time to do it more. There's just something peaceful and rejuvenating about spending some quiet time in the middle of nature.

Overall, I give Max Patch two big thumbs up. It's really nice to see that the park services have taken such good care of wonderful natural landmarks like Max Patch. Hopefully they'll keep up the good work so that our parks and national forests can be enjoyed for many generations to come.