Access
Like most of the key peaks of the Eastern Smokies, Old Black can only be reached via a lengthy hike. The mountain is just over six miles (10 km) from the nearest parking lot at the Cosby Campground. The quickest route involves following the Snake Den Ridge Trail out of Cosby (the trailhead is behind Campsite B51) for 5.3 miles (8.5 km) to the Appalachian Trail junction at Inadu Knob. From this junction, Old Black is nearly a mile to the northwest. The trail comes to within less than a 10th of a mile from the summit, but the thickness of the forest atop the mountain will considerably slow any bushwhack attempt, and make off-trail navigation difficult.
As the Appalachian Trail crosses Old Black's western slope, various clearings allow for spectacular views of Cocke County and Sevier County, Tennessee to the north and northwest. Along the mountain's northeast slope, near a clearing used for a high-altitude helicopter landing pad, much of the Eastern Smokies and the Balsam Mountains can be seen, including Mount Sterling and Luftee Knob. Some of the finest views of Mount Guyot can be seen from this point.
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