Art Loeb Trail - North Carolina
Tucked away deep in the heart of east coast mountain country is a rugged trail that is eager to showcase some of North Carolina's most enjoyable ridgetop scenery. It packs plenty of mountaintop 360 degree views when riding high above the treeline. You really will be satisfied on this hike knowing you didn't spend endless miles walking through "the green tunnel" like the much more famous sibling just to the west, the Appalachian Trail, but there is still plenty of tree time too.
The Art Loeb Trail boasts 30.1 miles of point to point goodness and whether you do the entire length or just a section or two of it, the experience fails to disappoint.
Art Loeb
The trail is named after Arthur Loeb, a local conservationist who loved the surrounding Appalachian Mountains within the Pisgah National Forest. While Art wasn't much of a hiker during the earlier part of his life, a heart attack in his mid 40s drove him to the local mountains after his doctor prescribed him cardio work to strengthen his heart. From that point forward, he spent the remainder of his life exploring and trailblazing many new trails with the local Carolina Mountain Club. His years of dedication to the Pisgah National Forest up until his death at, the age of 54, led the local club to naming this special trail in his honor.
Today, the Art Loeb Trail is one of the true hiking treasures of North Carolina and should be on every backpacker's bucket list.
How to Get There
This incredibly scenic trail is about an hour southwest of Ashville, NC and less than an hour from the South Carolina border.
The town of Brevard, NC is your only bet for stashing last minute supplies if you forgot anything while in a more major city such as Ashville or Greenville.
The entire trail is within the Pisgah National Forest which contains some of the highest mountains in the eastern US as well as tons of waterfalls. While the waterfalls won't reveal themselves on the Art Loeb Trail, the bigger peaks will, such as 6,214 foot Black Balsam Knob.
Technically, there are 4 trailheads. If you are wanting to begin at either end, there is the northern terminus and the southern terminus. If for whatever reason you want to hop in somewhere in the middle, you can find parking at both Gloucester Gap and the Black Balsam Knob Trailhead.
SouthernTerminus - https://maps.app.goo.gl/Q7NJHdxREuzDtz8b7
Gloucester Gap - https://maps.app.goo.gl/bKp1NNHV81TERr9s6
Black Balsam Knob Trailhead - https://maps.app.goo.gl/FQnJ4UJRMoRGC5LG8
Camp Daniel Boone Trailhead (northern) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/dw7aoAap7XKnQwNZ8
No permits are required for day hiking or backpacking so respect the area and enjoy!
The Trail
Logistically, it's a difficult task to tackle the entire route in one go as you'll either need a second vehicle to shuttle back with or you'll have to hire a driver. There are shuttles available for $75 to $130 from my little research, but I didn't use one so I'm unable to comment on any of them.
This backpacking adventure with my brothers was not along the entire route, but rather, we started at Gloucester Gap, went all the way to the northern terminus at the Camp Daniel Boone area, and then backtracked to the car at Gloucester Gap. Total mileage doing it this way was roughly 36 miles. We ultimately missed out on the first 12.3 mile section covering Davidson River to Gloucester Gap so we'll have to go back again one day... The truth is, we were unable to make a shuttle happen when we went on Thanksgiving weekend so we made the most of a 2 night backpacking trip via the route described above.
What's interesting about the Art Loeb Trail is the amount of open views you get. The east coast is notorious for claustrophobic forests in almost every valley or atop the mountains, but this trail has an unusual amount of open air giving it additional brownie points (at least on the sections we did). Of course when you're a hammock guy like myself, trees do make life easier for hanging out so I don't necessarily only want open views.
You will climb, a lot. It's certainly not impossible and anyone with decent fitness will achieve the end goal of enjoying some quality time in the mountains. The only non-sibling on this trip was a first time backpacker and not much of a hiker, however, he was into sports and I don't recall him struggling too much.
The Views
This is what it's all about for many people. Stunning vistas abound.
The sunsets are truly magnificent.
On the first night, the non-sibling guy with us brought a tent and had a million dollar view while the rest of us with hammocks only had a short stroll down to the treeline where plenty of pine trees made easy work for finding camp. It was beneficial to have the built in wind breaking trees with the crisp November night temperatures and a bit of a breeze.
The next morning, we were woken up to the sound of people walking through our camp. Hunters. Lots of them. We decided it was best to abandon camp and head for the top of Black Balsam Knob and watch. After they left, we broke down camp and continued on.
Shining Rock Wilderness
On the northern side of the trail, you'll enter the Shining Rock Wilderness area. Encompassing over 18,000 acres, the name quickly becomes apparent as you'll notice bright white quartz boulders clustered starkly against the green backdrop. You will hike through some of the boulder patches, but I failed to take any closeup photos.
The trail is considerably thicker with vegetation and rocks on the trail. You'll have a mix of open views and tight hip hugging flora making for a refreshing collage of scenery.
One thing to note is that there are several trail junctions within the wilderness area so it's imperative to bring and follow a map so you don't go off route.
Towards the very end of the trail, you will navigate a steep knife edge ridgeline that drops abruptly on either side. Plenty of trees abound giving you some false security, but it's wise to watch your step in here. It never opens up fully. This will then descend quickly as you near the northern terminus known as Camp Daniel Boone. In our case this was the turnaround and we had to do it all in reverse.
Important Things to Know
Here are a few rules and helpful tips to put you on the right track for success:
Maps are very useful and one of the best is the National Geographic map of the Pisgah National Forest. I love these topographic maps as they are very detailed and waterproof too. Don't get caught second guessing which trail you're on while route finding in the Shining Rock Wilderness or wondering what the next large mountain you're facing is. They can be found at places such as REI or Amazon.
Bear canisters are required in the Shining Rock Wilderness and many other surrounding areas due to bear problems. If you are backpacking, make sure you have one for your food. I personally have used the BearVault BV450 for years and it does the job.
https://www.rei.com/product/768901/bearvault-bv450-jaunt-bear-canister
Resupplying your water is essential on any trip and it's imperative you are familiar with where to access water. A map such as the National Geographic one listed above will help guide you on water sources. The Art Loeb Trail does not have a ton of options so make sure you are carrying a large enough vessel for some reserves as well as know where the stream locations are. As for water filters, in my opinion, gravity filters are best. I've been using my GravityWorks Platypus for over a decade now and it still works like a champ.
https://www.rei.com/product/866422/platypus-gravityworks-water-filter-system-4-liter
Where to camp is really pretty basic here. As long as you're at least 1000 feet from a road, it's fair game. Of course, please practice leave no trace wherever you decide to spend the night. The pinnacle and probably the most coveted spot is atop Black Balsam Knob. We were fortunate enough to have had the entire mountain to ourselves since we chose an obscure weekend, but I've read it can get crowded in a hurry so don't hesitate to deviate and explore many of the other appealing locations.
Also remember that campfires are prohibited in the Shining Rock Wilderness altogether. Pisgah National Forest does allow them outside of fire season.
Useful Links
Pisgah National Forest - https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48114
An excellent write-up with plenty of details of the trail - https://trainsplanesandtuktuks.com/hiking-the-art-loeb-trail/
An overall snapshot of the trail mileage with elevation profile can be found here - https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/north-carolina/art-loeb-trail-north-to-south
Conclusion
Rated as one of the most challenging hikes in the state of North Carolina, the Art Loeb trail is sure to please beginners and veteran hikers alike. Whether you are day hiking, trail running, or backpacking, the impressive scenery will keep you occupied on every level. Do your research, plan your trip, get fit, and turn your backyard exploration mode on full!
As always, B.E. Adventurous!