Shuckstack
Shuckstack rises to 1,216 m in North Carolina. Thunderhead Mountain stands 1,685 m to the northeast, 8.4 miles off. The nearest named place is Little Shuckstack, a peak 0.5 miles away. Indian Lakes Scenic Byway passes 2.4 miles off.
The story
Shuckstack is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Swain County, North Carolina, in the southeastern United States. It has an elevation of 4,020 feet (1,230 m) above sea level and rises approximately 2,300 feet (700 m) above Fontana Lake to the south. A historic fire tower stands at the summit of Shuckstack, offering a panoramic view of the western Smokies, Yellow Creek, Unicoi Mountains, Cheoah, and the Nantahala National Forest. Although no longer in use, the fire tower is accessible to the public. The summit of Shuckstack is accessed via the Appalachian Trail and a short spur trail. The spur trail is marked by a T-shaped white blaze and is approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from the parking lot on the north side of Fontana Dam. It is considered a strenuous hike with rapid elevation gain—approximately 2,300 feet (700 m). Along with the fire tower, the summit of Shuckstack also hosts the chimney, foundation, and cistern of what was once a fire watchman's cabin along with several outcroppings of Precambrian Ocoee Supergroup sandstone.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q7504621, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1216 m
How to reach it
- 2.4 mi off the Indian Lakes Scenic Byway
- 10.6 mi off the Cherohala Skyway, National
- 14.9 mi off the Nantahala Byway
- 14.9 mi off the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway
Overlooks nearby
- Shute Cove Overlook · 13 mi
- Stratton Ridge · 16 mi
- Hooper Point Overlook · 16 mi
- Haw Knob · 16 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Little Shuckstack: 0.5 mi
- Sheep Knob: 0.6 mi
- Greer Knob: 2.1 mi
- Round Mountain Knob: 2.2 mi
- Big Swag: 2.2 mi
- Twentymile Creek Cascade: 3.2 mi
- Judy Branch Falls: 4.3 mi
- Yellow Creek Falls: 6.1 mi
- Aiken Branch Falls: 6.3 mi
- Bear Creek Falls (Cheoah): 7.2 mi
- Graham County Park: 12.8 mi
- Swan Cabin: 13.8 mi
- Tallassee Recreation Area: 14.8 mi
- Ferebee Memorial Picnic Area: 15.6 mi
- Citico Recreation Area: 15.6 mi
- Tree of Shame: 6.0 mi
- Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest: 11.0 mi
- Tuckaleechee Caverns: 12.1 mi
- River Rat Tubing Outpost: 14.3 mi
- Flat Branch boat launch: 15.2 mi
- Graham County Historical Association: 11.3 mi
- Junaluska Museum: 11.4 mi
- The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum: 13.7 mi
- Cades Cove Preservation Association & Cades Cove Museum: 20.2 mi
- Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Museum: 21.1 mi
- Bolden Knight Bluff: 12.7 mi
- Morton Bluff: 13.4 mi
- Morton Bluff: 13.4 mi
- Turkeypen Bluff: 13.7 mi
- Emert Bluff: 13.7 mi
- Joyce Kilmer Memorial: 11.2 mi
- Junaluska Memorial: 11.4 mi
- Tanasi Monument: 18.1 mi
- Chota Monument: 18.4 mi
- Tucker Springs Historical Marker: 20.1 mi
- Cades Cove Covered Picnic Shelter: 8.5 mi
- Cades Cove Picnic Area: 8.6 mi
- Look Rock Picnic Area: 12.6 mi
- Tremont Picnic Area: 12.8 mi
- Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area: 16.4 mi
- Proctor: 5.1 mi
- Calderwood: 9.8 mi
- Judson: 15.4 mi
- Elkmont: 17.6 mi
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 20.2 mi
- Nantahala National Forest: 21.4 mi
- Sam Houston Statue: 20.5 mi
- Bear: 23.7 mi
- Cherohala Skyway restroom/trail head: 16.3 mi
- Vista Gardens: 23.4 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 9.7 miles of Shuckstack. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderhead Mountain | NE 47° | 1,685.16 m | 8.4 mi |
| Rocky Top | NE 46° | 1,657.32 m | 7.9 mi |
| Blockhouse Mountain | NE 53° | 1,650.92 m | 7.4 mi |
| Brier Knob | NE 52° | 1,591.05 m | 9.6 mi |
| Devils Race Patch | NE 51° | 1,564.85 m | 8.1 mi |
| De Armond Bald | NE 52° | 1,554.75 m | 6.8 mi |
| Mt. Squires | NE 38° | 1,540.46 m | 6.8 mi |
| Spence Field | NE 41° | 1,509.76 m | 7.1 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:40 | 19:14 | 19:47 |
| June solstice | 06:21 | 20:17 | 20:55 |
| September equinox | 07:24 | 19:00 | 19:34 |
| December solstice | 07:41 | 16:47 | 17:27 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 38 | 42 | 49 | 57 | 64 | 71 | 74 | 73 | 68 | 58 | 48 | 41 |
| Precip in | 5.4 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 5.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Tapoco, 8 mi away.
Inside the official boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Jan and Feb; busiest: Oct.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidata- USGS Geographic Names Information System feature 1015494 — Shuckstack, Swain County, North Carolina.
OpenStreetMap element node/357803661
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