Pilot Cove Loop Trail Map

Route map of the Pilot Cove Loop Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail Map

Route map of the Pilot Cove Loop Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...

Pilot Cove Loop/Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail Upper Junction -- 3,820'

The upper terminus of the Pilot Cove Loop Trail (left) as seen arriving from the north on the Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail...

Pilot Cove Loop/Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail Upper Junction -- 3,820'

The the Pilot Cove Loop Trail as seen departing its north terminus at the Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,880'

The trail starts out by immediately making a moderate, but short-lived, climb...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,930'

Atop the ridge mountain laurels take over for rhododendron, with small patches of waxy-green galax beneath...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,970'

Where the laurel is more dense, nothing but moss can grow beneath...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,950'

Things now flatten out a bit as the trail travels the crest of the ridge...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,900'

Continuing on through the laurel...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,870'

More galax, laurel, and moss...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,820'

No doubt this is a spectacular stretch of trail when the white and pink laurel blooms arrive in spring...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,800'

The trail starts to descend slightly as it approaches the gap just to the north of Slate Rock...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,750'

If you look close through the leaves of the laurel on the right you'll see Slate Rock...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,720'

The trail now drops to a shallow gap, just to the north of Slate Rock, via a quick series of switchbacks...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,700'

Entering the laurel-choked gap just north of Slate Rock...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,720'

A visible opening at the end of the tunnel...this is the trail as it arrives at Slate Rock from the north...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail @ Slate Rock -- 3,740'

Suddenly the trail bursts forth from the laurel onto the open ledges of Slate Rock where, almost impossibly it seems, large pine grow straight from the granite surface...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

Stepping out onto the north side of Slate Rock another familiar landmark greets you from across the valley...Pilot Rock...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

A panoramic view from Slate Rock looking across the adjacent valley in the direction of Pilot Rock. The ridge the trail traveled to arrive here is on the right...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

The tenacity of life always amazes me on these open ledges...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

A panorama from Slate Rock looking across towards Pilot Rock...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

Another look across to Pilot Rock...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

Wandering over to see the views from the more west-facing side of Slate Rock...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

Funneltop Mountain (4,265') rises across the valley to the southwest...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

Looking due west the view extends directly down the broad high-elevation valley known as the Pink Beds...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

The panorama from the west-facing cliffs of Slate Rock...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

It's always amazing to see the various shapes eons of runoff have carved in the faces of these open cliffs...

Slate Rock -- 3,720'

One last zoomed-in look across to Pilot Rock. The high ridge seen rising in the distance is that of Shining Rock (6,000'+)...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail @ Slate Rock -- 3,740'

To return to the trail go back to where you arrived at the summit and look for the trail entering the laurels on a 90-degree turn...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail @ Slate Rock -- 3,740'

Pick up the trail again by making a left (in relation to where you arrived at Slate Rock) up into the surrounding laurels...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,750'

The trail remains on a fairly level grade as it begins to follow the ridge south from Slate Rock...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,700'

Soon the descent begins, though only gradually at first...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,620'

As elevation is lost the laurels began to thin and hardwoods once again began to dominate...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,700'

Reaching the shallow gap in the ridge just to the south of Slate Rock...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,600'

One last gradual ascent before the final drop off the ridge...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,500'

The closer the trail gets to the south end of the ridge the more its rate of descent increases...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,400'

Turning in a more northerly direction now as the trail begins the steepest part of its descent...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,300'

The northerly track provides fleeting glimpses of the high peaks rising just in that direction...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,250'

A few quick switchbacks help with the final drop to the valley...

Pilot Cove Loop Trail -- 3,200'

Nearing he lower/eastern terminus of the Pilot Cove Loop Trail...

Pilot Cove Loop/Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail Lower Junction -- 3,150'

The lower/eastern terminus of the Pilot Cove Loop is here, at its lower junction with the Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail. Heading left (east) here will get you to Yellow Gap Road in 2/10-mile...

Pilot Cove Loop/Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail Lower Junction -- 3,150'

The lower/eastern terminus of the Pilot Cove Loop is seen here (right), at its lower junction with the Pilot Cove-Slate Rock Trail (left). Heading east here (behind this shot) will get you to Yellow Gap Road in 2/10-mile.