Back to Activities
Summit

Cole Mountain

North Carolina

About

Cole Mountain is a summit of 4,686 feet in the Nantahala Ranger District of the National Forests in North Carolina, about 4 miles from the town of Highlands. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Highlands show September highs around 71°F with lows near 51°F, and May highs around 69°F. That station sits roughly 800 feet below the summit, so temperatures up top run cooler. Yellow Mountain lies about half a mile away, and Ranger Falls Loop and Ranger Falls are both within 3 miles. Van Hook Glade Campground, about 3.4 miles off, is the closest place to camp.

Summit Facts

Summit elevation

4,686 ft

Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).

Loading conditions...
Get Directions

Location

Cole Mountain

North Carolina

Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 62–78°F and lows of 39–58°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Highlands, NC weather station, 3.7 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan42° high24° low
  2. Feb46° high26° low
  3. Mar54° high32° low
  4. Apr62° high39° low
  5. May69° high47° low
  6. Jun75° high54° low
  7. Jul78° high58° low
  8. Aug76° high57° low
  9. Sep71° high51° low
  10. Oct63° high41° low
  11. Nov53° high32° low
  12. Dec45° high27° low

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

Where it is

Nearest town
Highlands, North Carolina · 3.9 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

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

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

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