Max Patch is a bald mountain on the North Carolina-Tennessee Border in

Madison County, North Carolina Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,193. Its county seat is Marshall. Madison County is part of the Asheville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. History ...

, and

Cocke County, Tennessee Cocke County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,999. Its county seat is Newport. Cocke County comprises the Newport, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part ...

. It is a major landmark along the Tennessee/North Carolina section of the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...

, although its summit is in North Carolina. It is known for its 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains, namely the Bald Mountains in the immediate vicinity; the Unakas to the north; the

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in the southeastern United States, southeast, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline o ...

to the south; and the Great Balsams and Black Mountains to the southeast. A small parking area is near the summit with a short loop trail. No public bathrooms or trash cans exist, and parking is limited at the site.

History

Max Patch was originally cleared in the early 19th century by farmers seeking to use the area as

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Types of pasture Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, c ...

for cattle and sheep. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the mountain was used for a wide range of purposes including the site of an inn, a hostel circuit, and an airstrip before the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...

purchased the area in 1982 to preserve the historic site and prevent the construction of a ski resort. Th
Carolina Mountain Club
Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and

worked collaboratively to relocate the

to Max Patch's summit and completed the project in 1984.

Ecology

In addition to being a popular tourist destination, Max Patch is home to various native plants and wildlife. The mountain is managed by the

to maintain its early

ecological succession Ecological succession is the process of how species compositions change in an Community (ecology), ecological community over time. The two main categories of ecological succession are primary succession and secondary succession. Primary successi ...

stage, preserving habitat for local

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

and

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

in addition to the famed panoramic views. The Carolina Mountain Club,

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is a List of federal agencies in the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior which oversees the management of fish, wildlife, ...

, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy also work to help restore and manage the area's

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

American black bear The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is Endemism, endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

s, and elk have been spotted at Max Patch. The area is also a designated

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

through

Birdlife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

and a critical site for the imperiled golden-winged warbler and an assortment of other bird species. In addition, Max Patch is an important stopover point for

monarch butterfly The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. I ...

populations.

Tourism and Conservation

Due to widespread

ecological Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...

damage and human health hazards stemming from overuse and irresponsible visitor

stewardship Stewardship is a practice committed to ethical value that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. The concepts of stewardship can be applied to the environment and nature, economics, health, places, property, information ...

, the

issued
closure order
to help the area recover in July 2021. The order includes a ban on overnight camping, fires, and group sizes of more than ten. The complete closure order is listed below. Visitors are encouraged to

leave no trace Leave No Trace, sometimes written as LNT, is a set of ethics promoting conservation of the outdoors. Originating in the mid-20th century, the concept started as a movement in the United States in response to ecological damage caused by wilderne ...

and always stay on the trail to prevent the creation of harmful social trails which damage habitat through

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...

and fragmentation. Mars Hill, NC, July 1, 2021—The Pisgah National Forest is implementing new restrictions at Max Patch designed to reduce impacts to natural resources and protect public health and safety. Effective immediately in the area around Max Patch as delineated on the map below, the following rules apply: # No camping. # No fires. # The area closes 1 hour after sundown. Reopens 1 hour before sunrise. Visitors are prohibited during closed hours. # Group size limited to 10. # Dogs and other animals must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet or in a crate or cage. # Stay on designated trails. # Aircraft may not land, drop off, or pick up anything in this area. Drones are prohibited on the Appalachian Trail. # No fireworks. # Bikes must stay on roads only. # Horses and other saddle and pack animals may not be ridden, hitched, tethered, or hobbled in this area.

References

External links

Max Patch, NC
*
Max Patch Mountain
– The Heartland Series episode {{Mountains of Tennessee Mountains of North Carolina Mountains of Tennessee Mountains on the Appalachian Trail Protected areas of Madison County, North Carolina Protected areas of Cocke County, Tennessee Appalachian balds Landforms of Madison County, North Carolina Mountains of Cocke County, Tennessee