SOTA Trip Library

SOTA (Summits On The Air) is an Amateur Radio program where hams climb to the tops of mountains, set up a radio station, and talk with people from around the world. The K4KPK SOTA Trip Library is a library of SOTA trip plans. The idea is:

  • I think, "Hey! I'd like to do a SOTA activation next Thursday."
  • I go to the SOTA Trip Library and pull out a trip plan, print it, and go.

These stories contain driving directions, trail directions, and a summary of what you’ll find on the summit (including whether or not cell coverage is available). I generally don’t publish until I’ve been to the mountain.

Click on the summit name to get my detailed guide to activating the summit.

Click on the summit ID to get the official SOTA page for the summit.

Summit Name ID PT Miles BW SMS Pair With
@template W7x/YY-ZZZ
Bald Knob W4C/WM-046
Bald Mountain W4G/HC-003
Barnett Knob W4C/WM-055
Beech Mtn W4C/EM-007
Bell Knob W4G/NG-035
Big Bald Mountain W4G/HC-002
Big Cedar Mountain W4G/NG-023
Big Fodderstack W4T/SU-028
Black Balsam W4C/CM-005
Black Mountain W4G/NG-022
Blackrock Mountain W4G/NG-027
Blood Mountain W4G/NG-004
Blue Mountain W4G/NG-010
Bluff Mountain W4C/CM-035
Boteler Peak W4C/WM-036
Brasstown Bald W4G/NG-001
Buckeye Knob W4G/NG-017
Bunches Bald W4C/WM-013
Burnt Mountain W4G/HC-010
Buzzard Knob W4G/NG-021
Buzzard Knob via Blue Ridge Gap W4G/NG-021
Clingmans Dome W4C/WM-001
Coosa Bald W4G/NG-006
Copper Ridge Bald W4C/WM-023
Cowee Bald W4C/WM-039
Cowpen Mountain W4G/HC-001
Craggy Dome W4C/CM-007
Double Spring Knob W4G/NG-007
Dyer Mountain W4G/HC-009
Eagle Mountain W4G/NG-008
Flat Top Mountain W4G/HC-006
Frozen Knob W4G/NG-033
Glassy Mountain W4G/NG-031
Gooch Mountain W4G/NG-041
Grandmother Mountain W4C/EM-022
Grassy Mountain W4G/HC-007
Grassy Ridge Bald W4C/EM-001
Green Knob W4C/CM-020
Green Knob W4C/CM-023
Greentop W4T/SU-076
Hemlock Knob W4T/SU-043
High Rock W4T/SU-024
Hightower Bald W4G/NG-003
Horsetrough Mountain W4G/NG-009
Huckleberry Knob W4C/WM-011
Hullander Knobs West W4G/NG-038
Joe Mountain W4G/NG-055
Kennesaw Mountain W4G/CE-001
Levelland Mountain W4G/NG-014
Levelland Mountain via Tesnatee Gap W4G/NG-014
Lickstone Bald W4C/CM-012 N
Little Bald Knob W4G/NG-032
Little Bald Knob W4T/SU-025 DRAFT
Max Patch W4C/CM-036
Mt Electric W7W/KG-141
Mt Hardy W4C/WM-006
Mt Mitchell W4C/CM-001
Mt Pisgah W4C/CM-011
Nettle Creek Bald W4C/WM-027
Oakey Mountain W4G/NG-015 via Rock Mtn Trailhead
Pine Mountain W4G/HC-036
Pond Mountain W4T/SU-030
Rabun Bald W4G/NG-002
Ravencliff Knob W4G/NG-026
Rice Knob W4C/CM-082
Rich W4C/WM-029 DRAFT
Richland Balsam Mountain W4C/WM-003
Ripshin Ridge W4T/SU-019
Roan High Knob W4T/SU-005
Rock Mountain W4G/NG-024
Rocky Knob W4G/NG-039
Rocky Mountain W4G/HC-008
Rocky Mountain W4G/NG-011
Rocky Mountain W4G/NG-016
Rocky Mountain W4G/NG-050
Round Mountain W4T/SU-029
Round Top W4G/NG-013
Sassafras Mountain W4G/NG-040
Sassfras Knob W4T/SU-061
Satulah W4C/WM-064
Scaly Mtn W4C/WM-044
Screamer W4G/NG-056
Shepherd Bald W4C/WM-045
Sheriff Knob W4G/NG-034
Shortoff Mountain W4C/WM-033
Siler Bald W4C/WM-024
Snowbird Mountain W4T/SU-035
Spaniard Mountain W4G/NG-018
Springer Mountain W4G/HC-005
Squak Mtn W7W/KG-122
Standing Indian W4C/WM-014
Steestachee Bald W4C/WM-010
Stone Mountain W4G/CE-003
Stratton Bald via Beech Gap W4C/WM-020
Stratton Bald via Wolf Laurel W4C/WM-020
Sugar Mtn W4C/EM-011
Thunderhead Mtn W4T/SU-009
Toxaway Mountain W4C/WM-047
Tray Mountain W4G/NG-005
Vineyard Mountain W4G/HC-043
Walnut Mountain W4T/SU-033
Waterrock Knob W4C/WM-004
Wesser Bald W4C/WM-058
Whiteside Mtn W4C/WM-042
Wildcat Mountain W4G/NG-020
Wine Spring Bald W4C/WM-018
Wolf Knob W4G/NG-012
Yellow Bald W4C/WM-022
Yellow Mountain W4C/WM-028

  • Pair With = If you'd like to try activating multiple summits on the same day, here's a candidate to pair with this summit.
    • Sometimes, I'll list a second summit that is near the primary summit. Other times, I'll list a secondary summit that you'll drive near on the way to your primary summit.
    • Some of my pairings are "Atlanta centric" in that I'll assume you're driving from Atlanta to a primary summit.
    • Note that not all pairings are orthogonal in that I'll list an easy summit as a pair to a hard summit but not vice versa, because you might do an easy hill on the way to a hard hill, but you'd never say, "Gee. I'm doing a 15 minute hike today, why don't I add on a grueling 8 hour bushwhack?"
  • BW = Bushwhack required.
  • PT = Points.
  • SMS = SMS/APRS results: T=AT&T, V=Verizon, P=APRS. W=Worked (default), F=Failed, M=Marginal (some failed). Y = I did use SMS but did not record which carrier.
    • e.g: "TM-2017, VF, P-2016" would mean AT&T was marginal in 2017, Verizon failed (year not documented), APRS worked in 2017
    • Year (if provided) indicates the latest year I checked it.

Here is the official list of summits I have activated.

I'm particularly proud of the fact that I first-activated 7 of Georgia's 14 ten-point summits as of April 20, 2013, when I first-activated the last un-activated ten-pointer. I'm also proud of being the first activator to collect the "full house" of all 14 of Georgia's ten-pointers.


If you're looking for routes to summits, Patrick Harris has an impressive set of GPX files at his smokymtns.com web site.