Mount Mitchell State Park, near Burnsville, encompassing 1,700 acres, was North Carolina's first state park established in 1915. The park is named after a Dr. Elisha Mitchell, a scientist and professor at the University of North Carolina who attempted to affirm that Mount Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi. An interpretive historical marker on the trail to Mount Mitchell observation tower honors him. He is actually buried at the summit which is along the crest of the Black Mountains.
