Russell County High Point Trip Report
Beartown Mountain (4,689 ft)
Date: May 20, 2000
Author: Fred Lobdell
In his trip report, Ron Tagliapietra speculated that if access to Mutter Gap could be obtained from the
north, it might be easier to hike along the ridge line from the gap to the summit of Beartown. The
DeLorme shows a dashed red line going from the north to the gap, and indeed continuing over the gap to
connect with the Red Branch Trail (as named and described by Allen de Hart in "The Hiking Trails of
Virginia") . I found a driveway in the right place going south off the paved county road and turned into it.
Ther was a "No Trespassing" sign at the second (open) gate. Straight ahead was another gate with a badly
overgrown woods road continuing toward the gap from it. There was no place to park, except by the
house in that area. The driveway continued, making a left turn, to another house. Even if permission
were obtained to park and hike up the old woods road, it would still be 2 or 3 miles to Mutter Gap, with an
even longer ridge line bushwhack to the summit. So this approach does not seem feasible, and the reader
is referred to Ron's original report for what appears, as of now, to be the best approach.