Polk County Highpoint Trip Report

Tryon Pk

Date: June 8, 2006
Author: Shannon Dillmore

I drove up White Oak Mountain Road and parked at the intersection with Sunset Ridge Road so as not to block traffic (2 pm). I walked up to the intersection with the access road and found a locked gate and freshly posted VERY negative signing. "No Trespassing" signs are everywhere and they claim that the summit is watched by hidden cameras (yeah, right). I ducked the gate and continued on the access road. I found a homeowner and he allowed me to continue but made it very clear that the access road is privately owned, as are the communication towers at the summit. Not terribly welcoming.

The trip to the summit (3,280+ feet, prominence 1,330+ feet) was a pleasant walk but was steep near the end. Near the summit, postings indicate that the area is under a conservation easement with the Nature Conservancy. Perhaps a more legal ascent could be made from the east using the jeep tracks indicated on the topo map (I saw these tracks at the summit). I returned to my car at about 3 p.m.

Hike statistics: Total of 2.3 miles round trip, 550 feet of elevation gain.