Looking Glass Rock Trail Map

Route map of the Looking Glass Rock Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...

Looking Glass Rock Trail Map

Route map of the Looking Glass Rock Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...

Looking Glass Rock Trailhead -- 2,300'

The trailhead is located a short distance up F.R. 475 from its junction with US-276. This is one of the more popular hikes in the district so the small parking area quickly overflows most days...

Looking Glass Rock Trailhead -- 2,300'

Passing the large informational kiosks at the trailhead...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,400'

The trail begins the climb by rounding this narrow drainage...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,450'

For about the first half-mile the trail ascends relatively gently as it searches out the head of a small cove leading up from the Davidson River...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,580'

When you hit the first switchback, the real climb is about to start...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,620'

Despite climbing such steep terrain, the trail maintains a fairly steady and moderate grade. I really have to commend whoever originally laid out this trail, they did a fantastic job...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,650'

The winter woods in Pisgah is always beautiful...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,700'

As the ridge steepens the trail begins to be surrounded by rhodo...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,720'

Many of the trees here are quite impressive in size...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,780'

I don't condone spray painting trees, even when it's meant to help...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,820'

Just above the mile-marker tree the first of eighteen switchbacks is reached, which will eventually deliver the trail to the top of the ridge. This is by far the steepest part of the route as it climbs some 400 feet in about a half-mile...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,900'

Upwards, through a thick covering of laurel and rhodo...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,960'

Looking uphill from the trail...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 2,960'

One could almost go cross-eyed trying to look up through the rhodo branches here...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,100'

Up, switchback, up, switchback...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,150'

As the trail nears the top of the ridge a few more conifers start to punctuate the canopy...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,200'

The rhododendron tunnel continues a bit longer, however...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,220'

The steep winding climb ends upon entering this broad drainage atop the ridge. It's a good place to stop for a quick breather as there is a lot of climbing yet to go...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,300'

The trail as it makes its way up the broad drainage, reached upon topping the ridge...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,340'

Curving around the upper slopes of the drainage, looking back...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,380'

The canopy atop the ridge is noticeably more damaged due to near-constant exposure to winds...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,420'

The rhodo tunneling continues...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,500'

More stately pines...

Looking Glass Rock Trail @ West Cliffs Spur Path -- 3,520'

The trail now passes this obvious spur path on the left, which leads to an emergency helicopter pad and the towering western cliffs of Looking Glass...

Looking Glass Rock Trail (Air Lift Zone) -- 3,520'

A view of the emergency helicopter landing pad atop Looking Glass, located just off the main trail at the western cliffs spur...

Looking Glass Rock -- West Face -- 3,480'

The spur trail as it emerges at the top of the West Face...

Looking Glass Rock -- West Face -- 3,480'

To the south and west (and directly into the sun) are Looking Glass' neighboring plutons...John Rock (3,215') is to the left while Cedar Rock (4,056') is the higher peak to the right...

Looking Glass Rock -- West Face -- 3,480'

Picking your way carefully along the top of the cliffs you'll eventually reach this point where the higher cliffs to the north come into full view...

Looking Glass Rock -- West Face -- 3,480'

The majesty of the Great Balsams rising to the north is breathtaking....

Looking Glass Rock -- West Face -- 3,480'

From this vantage point you're looking up nearly 3,000-feet to the crest of the Great Balsams. If you look closely you can just see the bare summit of Black Balsam Knob (6,214') poking above the ridge...

Looking Glass Rock -- West Face -- 3,480'

The 500-foot cliffs of Looking Glass' north face form a wonderfully rugged frame for the Great Balsam view. Returning to the main trail, the top of the north face is now where you'll be heading...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,550'

Continuing past the spur path the trail now begins its final push to the summit...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,600'

Runoff can keep this section of trail damp at times, even when there's not a deep melting cloak of snow...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,680'

A well-worn bit of trail through the laurel...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,740'

As it nears the summit, the trail crosses through a couple of these small open rock slabs...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,880'

Another laurel tunnel, leading ever upward...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,920'

Breaking out into the open, the summit appears ahead...

Looking Glass Rock Summit -- 3,969'

The summit of Looking Glass is marked by a large opening in the woods but there aren't any views to be had quite yet. For the big payoff, continue on the trail descending north from the summit...

Looking Glass Rock Summit -- 3,969'

The summit of Looking Glass is marked by a large opening in the woods but there aren't any views to be had quite yet. For the big payoff, continue on the trail descending north from the summit...

Looking Glass Rock Trail -- 3,920'

From the summit the trail once again dives into the laurel, as it descends somewhat steeply towards the top of the nearby cliffs...

Looking Glass Rock Trail @ North Face -- 3,880'

Arriving at the northern cliffs of Looking Glass Rock, and the upper terminus of the trail...

Looking Glass Rock -- North Face -- 3,880'

The panorama that greets you from the northern cliffs is this one. It's a stunning head-on view of the massive Great Balsam ridgeline, rising 3,000-feet above immediately to the north...

Looking Glass Rock -- North Face -- 3,880'

A closer look at the high peaks of the Great Balsam's. From left to right, starting just left of center, is the flat summit of Chestnut Bald (6,040'), the bare summit of Black Balsam Knob (6,214'), then Tennent Mountain (6,040'), and Grassy Cove Top (6,040')...

Looking Glass Rock -- North Face -- 3,880'

An even closer look at the high peaks of the Great Balsam's. From left to right is the flat summit of Chestnut Bald (6,040'), the bare summit of Black Balsam Knob (6,214'), then Tennent Mountain (6,040'), and Grassy Cove Top (6,040')...

Looking Glass Rock -- North Face -- 3,880'

The white stripe of the Blue Ridge Parkway can be seen easily snaking along the top of the ridge. Here, the view looks more easterly towards the Pisgah Ridge with Beech Knob (5,160') on the far right...

Looking Glass Rock -- North Face -- 3,880'

To the west, and almost directly into the late-day sun, the cone of Pilot Mountain (5,100) can be seen...