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State park

Yellow Mountain State Natural Area

North Carolina

About

Yellow Mountain State Natural Area is a park in North Carolina's Appalachian Ranger District, part of the National Forests in North Carolina. The nearest town is Bakersville, about 7 miles away. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 80°F with lows near 59°F, and September highs around 74°F with lows near 51°F. Several trails lie within a short drive. Grassy Ridge is about 3 miles away, and the Overmountain Victory Nht App is about 3 miles off. Cloudland and Shell Hollow Trail are both within about 5 miles.

Park size

3,805 acres

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Location

Yellow Mountain State Natural Area

North Carolina

Data source: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (Protected Areas Database, public domain)

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 65–80°F and lows of 38–59°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Roan Mtn 3sw, TN weather station, 6.6 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan44° high22° low
  2. Feb48° high25° low
  3. Mar55° high31° low
  4. Apr65° high38° low
  5. May71° high47° low
  6. Jun77° high55° low
  7. Jul80° high59° low
  8. Aug78° high58° low
  9. Sep74° high51° low
  10. Oct67° high40° low
  11. Nov56° high30° low
  12. Dec48° high25° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Bakersville, North Carolina · 6.9 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Appalachian Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Yellow Mountain State Natural Area open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in National Forests in North Carolina. It doesn't name Yellow Mountain State Natural Area, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · National Forests in North Carolina. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Yellow Mountain State Natural Area

Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    44° / 22°

  2. Feb

    48° / 25°

  3. Mar

    55° / 31°

  4. Apr

    65° / 38°

  5. May

    71° / 47°

  6. Jun

    77° / 55°

  7. Jul

    80° / 59°

  8. Aug

    78° / 58°

  9. Sep

    74° / 51°

  10. Oct

    67° / 40°

  11. Nov

    56° / 30°

  12. Dec

    48° / 25°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Roan Mtn 3sw, TN, 6.6 mi away at 2,923 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.