Been working those quads? Test their climbing power on the Mount Sterling Trail stairmaster. You’ll gain 2,000 feet on the 2.3-mile ascent to the trail’s 5,842-foot namesake summit. Grab a map ($1) at the Big Creek Ranger Station in Cove Creek, then go 21 miles west on I-40 to Mount Sterling Road. Head south to the trailhead at Mount Sterling Gap and hike west along the MST, a wide path that switchbacks through old-growth pine. Hang a right atop the ridge and head another half-mile to a fire tower and one of the few (and the best) unobstructed 360-degree views in the park. Give your legs a rest while you scan 52 miles from the Pigeon River Gorge to the Unaka Mountains.
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