Woolly Tops Mountain Explained

Woolly Tops Mountain
Elevation Ft:5,482
Prominence Ft:177
Location:Sevier County, Tennessee, U.S.
Range:Appalachian Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains
Topo:USGS Mount Mingus
First Ascent:Unknown
Easiest Route:Hike

Woolly Tops Mountain is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains in Sevier County, Tennessee. It has an elevation of 5482feet, and is located in the eastern half of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Description

Woolly Tops Mountain is a large massif oriented in an east–west direction, which reaches a maximum elevation of 5482feet.[1] It is located approximately 0.75miles north of 5907feet Laurel Top on the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. Although not served by an official trail, the mountain can be accessed via the Appalachian Trail from Laurel Top via a ridge between the two mountains.[2] It rises approximately 3500feet along its northern base from the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River, also known as Greenbrier Creek.

On August 12, 1944, a Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, crashed into Woolly Tops Mountain. The wreckage was not discovered until January 19, 1947, by a group of hikers from the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club.[3] The remains of the three occupants were reportedly never found.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Woolly Tops Mountain . . PeakVisor . March 20, 2022.
  2. Web site: Woolly Tops Mountain, Tennessee . . November 1, 2004 . Peakbagger . March 20, 2022.
  3. News: . January 23, 1947 . Oak Ridge Plane Found in Smokies . 16 . The Knoxville News-Sentinel . March 20, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  4. Book: Speaks, Dewaine A. . August 5, 2019 . Historic Disasters of East Tennessee . Mount Pleasant, South Carolina . Arcadia Publishing . 59–60 . 9781467141895 . Google Books .