This hike has my vote for the premier hike in North Carolina. The Art Loeb Trail leads from the Black Balsam Mountain parking area over 4 peaks above 6000 feet to Shining Rock Mountain. This is one of the largest areas of open bald in the NC Mountains.

Route Type: Loop

Difficulty: VERY HARD (Petzoldt Rating: 11.65 )

Hike Length: 8.0 miles

Hike Duration: 4:00

Trailhead Temp: 40'F

Trail Traffic: 25-50 people

Min. Elevation: 5,700'

Max. Elevation: 6,214'

Total Vertical Gain: 1,825'

Avg. Elevation Gain / Mile: 228'

Trails Used (Blaze Color): Art Loeb (white), Ivestor Gap (unblazed), Old Butt Knob (unblazed)

GPX TRACK, MAP, & DATA

(Gaia GPS login required)

10-23-05