Hiking in Pisgah National Forest
Hiking Trails
Art Loeb Trail, Section 1
Distance: 12.3 miles
Blaze: White
Difficulty: Difficult
USGS Maps: Shining Rock, Sam Knob
Access: Turn onto the road to Davidson River Campground, 0.2 mile south of Pisgah District Ranger Station on U.S. Highway 276. Park in the Art Loeb Trailhead parking lot. The other end of this section is at Gloucester Gap on FS Rd. 471, where overnight parking is not recommended.
Attractions and Considerations: The Art Loeb Trail, 30.1 miles long, is a national recreation trail and named after a local hiking enthusiast. Most of the Art Loeb Trail is overlapped by the Mountains-to-the Sea Trail which is blazed with 3-inch white dots. Section 1 begins at the Davidson River and climbs steeply to Shut-in Ridge.
- Art Loeb Shuttle Service available here.
Art Loeb Trail, Section 2
Distance: 7.2 miles
Blaze: White
Difficulty: Difficult
USGS Maps: Shining Rock, Sam Knob
Access: Start from Gloucester Gap, which is 4.5 miles west of the State Fish Hatchery on FS Road 475. (It is not recommended to leave cars overnight here.) See Access to trail #21 for directions to the other end of this section.
Attractions and Considerations: From Gloucester Gap the trail climbs to Pilot Mountain, a former fire tower site with a 360-degree view. There is a shelter and spring at Deep Gap. The trail then climbs to the Blue Ridge Parkway, winding through a mature upland hardwood forest. From the Parkway it is a steep climb to Silvermine Bald where there is a transition from a hardwood forest to a spruce-fir forest. Near Silvermine Bald the Mountains-to-Sea Trail splits to the west while the Art Loeb Trail follows the ridge northeast to FS Road 816.
Art Loeb Trail, Section 3
Distance: 6.8 miles
Blaze: White
Difficulty: Difficult
USGS Maps: Shining Rock, Sam Knob, Cruso
Access: From U.S. Highway 276, travel 8 miles south on the Blue Ridge Parkway and turn onto FS Road 816. Go 1 mile to the crest of the hill, where the trail crosses.
Attractions and Considerations: The first half of this portion of the Art Loeb Trail is perhaps the most spectacular. Black Balsam and Tennant Mountains both exceed 6,000 feet in elevation. A beautiful 5-mile loop may be made by combining the Art Loeb Trail with the Ivestor Gap Road. At Ivestor Gap the Art Loeb crosses into Shining Rock Wilderness. This section of the Art Loeb Trail ends at Deep Gap.
Art Loeb Trail, Section 4
Distance: 3.8 miles
Blaze: None
Difficulty: Difficult
USGS Maps: Cruso, Waynesville
Access: Access is from the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp, off of U.S. Highway 215 four miles south of Bethel, NC. Please notify camp staff if you will be leaving a vehicle at the camp.
Attractions and Considerations: This is a short, but very steep section of the Art Loeb Trail. Because it is in designated wilderness, you will find no signs or trail blazes.
Art Loeb Spur
Distance: .6 miles
Blaze: None
Difficulty: Difficult
USGS Maps: Shining Rock
Access: From U.S. Highway 276, travel 8 miles south on the Blue Ridge Parkway and turn onto FS Road 816. Drive 1.5 miles to the end of the paved road. The trail starts at the gate to Ivestor Gap Road.
Attractions and Considerations: This is a short but steep trail that climbs 160 feet in elevation in the course of 0.6 mile.
Looking Glass Rock Trail
Distance: 3.1 miles
Blaze: Yellow
Difficulty: Moderate
Maps: Shining Rock
Access: From the Pisgah Ranger Station, go 3 miles north on U.S. Highway. 276 and turn left onto FS Road 475, the road to the State fish hatchery. The trailhead is on the right after about 0.5 mile. Parking is available for 15 vehicles in a paved lot.
Attractions and Considerations: This popular trail receives heavy use throughout the summer and the autumn color season. It requires a constant climb all of the way up, so make sure you are in good physical condition before tackling this trail. Numerous switchbacks may tempt you to take shortcuts, but this causes a great amount of damage and erosion, so please stay on the trail. The last mile is steep, and the view seems to come from nowhere as the: trail tops out and you gaze across a wide valley to high balds and the Blue Ridge Parkway in the distance.
Moore Cove
Distance: 1.6 miles
Blaze: Yellow
Difficulty: Easy
USGS Maps: Shining Rock
Access: Parking area is approximately halfway between Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock Recreation Area on US 276. Trail starts across a bridge at the upper end of the parking area. Follow yellow trail blazes. The .8 mile trail ends at the waterfall. Be careful waterfalls can be dangerous. Follow trail back to parking.
Graveyard Fields
Distance: 3 miles
Blaze: Blue
Difficulty: Easy
USGS Maps: Shining Rock
Access: Parking area is between US276 and 215 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trail starts directly in back of Graveyard Fields parking area. Almost immediately, the other end of Graveyard Fields trail intersects on the left, go straight. At .2 mile cross a bridge and turn left. After .8 mile trail intersects to the left, go straight. At 1.6 mile trail ends at the upper falls. Turn back the way you came until reaching the intersection of the trail on the right. Follow this trail back to the parking area.
Sam Knob
Distance: 1.9
Blaze: None
Difficulty: Easy
USGS Maps: Sam Knob
Access: The trail begins at the far end of the Black Balsam parking area marked Sam Knob. At .5 mile the trail crosses Flat Laurel Creek and ends on Flat Laurel Creek Trail, turn left. After .7 mile Little Sam starts to the right. Keep going straight on Flat Laurel Creek. Follow this back up the mountain to the parking area.
John Rock
Distance: 5 miles
Blaze: Yellow
Difficulty: Moderate
USGS Maps: Shining Rock
Access: The Fish Hatchery is located at the end of the pavement on 475 coming from the 276 side. Cat Gap Loop trail is located at the end of the parking area, orange blazes. Follow the blazes up the mountain. John Rock on right, yellow blazes, turn here. At the top the trail runs out on the face of John Rock. Be careful rock cliffs can be dangerous. Take a right back on the trail, very steep sections. Turn right on Cat Gap Bypass, follow this trail. Turn right onto Cat Gap Loop, down the mountain. Butter Gap on left; continue straight on Cat Gap Loop. Turn left on service road and follow this to parking area.
Coontree Loop
Distance: 3.7 miles
Blaze: Blue
Difficulty: Moderate
USGS Maps: Shining Rock
Access: Coontree picnic area is located on US 276 and is well marked. The trail starts on the other side of US 276 from the parking area, blue blazes. At .2 miles the trail forks, take the trail to the right. At the ridge Coontree Loop join with Bennett Gap Trail, red blazes. Turn left onto this trail. In approximately .5 mile Coontree Loop breaks off Bennett Gap to the left. Follow Coontree Loop to the bottom of the mountain. The Trail meets back at the fork; follow it to the picnic area.
Cold Mountain
Distance: 10.4
Blaze: None
Difficulty: Difficult
USGS Maps: Cruso and Waynesville
Access: Drive past Camp Daniel Boones (The Boy Scout Camp) to a small parking area on the right. The Art Loeb Trail starts next to a large information board. At 3.8 miles is Deep Gap, turn left. Follow the well defined Cold Mountain Trail, up the mountain. At the ridge of the mountain there is a small camp site, turn right. Follow this on up to the top. Return back the same way you came up.
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