Exercise Loop Trail (#344)
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Exercise Loop Trail Map
Route map of the Exercise Loop Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...
Exercise Loop Trail Map
Route map of the Exercise Loop Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...
Pisgah Ranger Station/Visitor Center
The Exercise Loop Trail begins alongside the parking lot for the Pisgah Ranger Station and Visitor Center. This is great place to gather info on the National Forest as well as having a nice little gift shop...
Pisgah Ranger Station/Visitor Center Trailhead
Looking at the visitor center from the "trailhead" for the Exercise Loop, which runs along the length of the parking lot...
Pisgah Ranger Station/Visitor Center Trailhead (Andy Cove Nature & Exercise Loop Trails)
If heading around the loop in a clockwise direction (as this album does) the trail immediately passes its eastern junction with the Andy Cove Nature Trail, also right alongside the parking lot...
Exercise Loop Trail
The trail as it departs eastward from the parking lot at the visitor center...
Exercise Loop Trail
The section of the loop between the visitor center and its eastern crossing of US-276 has a number of sharp turns which, thanks to these well placed signs, aren't as confusing as they could be...
Exercise Loop Trail
The trail briefly climbs as it leaves the visitor center, passing through a small grove of conifers...
Exercise Loop Trail
Quickly though the trail returns to the deciduous forest it will spend pretty much the rest of its length in...
Exercise Loop Trail
Another sharp corner, this time to the left...
Exercise Loop Trail
The cone ahead marks where the trail makes a hard right, to head around the nearby maintenance yard for the Forest...
Exercise Loop Trail
A wooden sign points you in the right direction at the turn described in the previous shot...
Exercise Loop Trail
A few ferns mixing into the understory is a nice addition to the surroundings...
Exercise Loop Trail @ US-276 East Crossing
About a quarter-mile east of the visitor center the loop reaches its eastern crossing of US-276...
Exercise Loop Trail @ US-276 East Crossing
Looking up US-276 from the eastern crossing...this is busy road, particularly in the summer, so use extra caution...
Exercise Loop Trail @ US-276 East Crossing
The trail as it re-enters the woods on the south side, of the eastern crossing, of US-276...
Exercise Loop Trail
Once again the trail enters a small conifer grove, which provides some welcome shade on warm afternoons...
Exercise Loop Trail
Cutting through a tunnel of young deciduous trees...
Exercise Loop Trail
Before long the trail emerges on this old roadway along the river. To continue on the loop, bear left and keep heading east...
Exercise Loop Trail
A split rail fence and boulders ahead signals the trails arrival at the entrance road to Davidson River Campground...
Exercise Loop Trail @ Art Loeb Trailhead
Directly across from where the trail reaches the campground road is the busy Art Loeb Trailhead. If you wanted, you could just as easy walk the Exercise Loop from this spot as well...
Davidson River
Overlooking the Davidson River, which the trail and campground road now cross...
Exercise Loop Trail @ Davidson River Campground Entrance
After crossing the bridge the trail makes a turn back into the woods on the right (seen in the next shot), while ahead the entrance to the campground can be seen...
Exercise Loop Trail
The trail as it leaves the campground road, heading west on the south side of the river...
Exercise Loop Trail
As this section of trail keeps right up alongside the river, and runs right alongside the Davidson River Campground, it sees A LOT of use which is evidenced by the impressive width of the footpath...
Exercise Loop Trail
Frequent breaks in the trees provide some nice glimpses of the nearby river...
Exercise Loop Trail
To the left campsites can easily be seen...easy access from the campground is the primary reason this trail stays so busy...
Davidson River
The late afternoon sun sparkles on the wide and shallow Davidson River...
Exercise Loop Trail
Staying right along the waters edge...
Exercise Loop Trail
As you can see the route remains almost completely flat...
Exercise Loop Trail
Because it stays so close to the river, there are a number of scramble paths which lead down from the trail to the waters edge...
Exercise Loop Trail
Continuing on the straight and not-so-narrow...
Exercise Loop Trail
You'll know you're passing the halfway point of the loop when you spot the visitor center through the trees across the river...
Exercise Loop Trail
Aside from the river views this is a pretty unremarkable stretch of trail...
Exercise Loop Trail
About three-quarters of the way along the south half of the loop the trail briefly passes the edge of this large activity field for the nearby campground...
Exercise Loop Trail
A particularly scenic bit of woodland...
Davidson River
Another nice view down over the river, looking downstream...
Exercise Loop Trail
A break in the trees ahead announces the trail arrival at the historic English Chapel...
English Chapel
Arriving at the old English Chapel...
English Chapel
The English Chapel on the Davidson River was built in 1940, replacing an earlier structure dating back to 1860. Note the stones above the entrance which spell out "ENGLISH CHAPEL". It is still in use today as part of the United Methodist Church...
Exercise Loop Trail
The trail now turns to the north to cross the Davidson River once again, this time via the bridge which provides access to the chapel...
Exercise Loop Trail
Looking towards the highway down the length of the one-lane bridge which provides access on Sundays to the English Chapel...
Davidson River
Looking upstream over the Davidson River from the English Chapel bridge...
Davidson River
Looking downstream over the Davidson River from the English Chapel bridge...
Exercise Loop Trail
Looking back across the English Chapel bridge from near the highway...
Exercise Loop Trail @ US-276 West Crossing
Now it's time to cross back over US-276 once again...
Exercise Loop Trail @ US-276 West Crossing
Looking down the highway at the the trail's western crossing. Once again, this is a busy road so use caution...
Exercise Loop Trail @ US-276 West Crossing
The trail as it re-enters the woods on the north side, of the west crossing, of US-276...