North Slope Connector to Art Loeb Trail, Pisgah National Forest

[dropcap style="font-size: 60px; color: #9b9b9b;"] S [/dropcap]ection 1 of the Art Loeb Trail is in Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, NC overlooking the Davidson River Recreation Area. The North Slope Trail is a loop contained within the boundary created by the Art Loeb and the river. Between the two trails is a connector. Combining the two via the connector makes an 8-mile loop that takes in a large portion of the forest above the river. Dense and damp in summer months, the mostly deciduous forest gets a lot of rainfall and remains green well into mid-autumn. The Davidson River Campground is nearby, so this hike can be quite popular with the campers. Our hike occurred on Thursday, August 30, 2012 from 8:45am to 12:00pm. The plan was to start at the Davidson River Campground, then follow the river westward to the North Slope trailhead. The climb begins up North Slope to a meeting with the connector trail and on to the Art Loeb Trail. We would take the Art Loeb back east and north for a return to the river.

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Hike Length: 8 miles Hike Duration: 3.25 hours Blaze: Orange, yellow, white

Hike Rating: Moderate, steady climbing Hike Configuration: Loop

Elevation Gain: 1,484 feet Elevation Change: 945 feet

Trail Condition: Mostly very good. Some muddy areas along the river.

Starting Point: Entrance to Davidson River Campground on Hwy 276.

Trail Traffic: We encountered one group of teens and their chaperones on the trails.

How to Get There: From Brevard, NC take Hwy 276 into Pisgah National Forest. Turn left into Davidson River Campground, but park before crossing the bridge into the campground.[/box]

The Davidson River Campground near the Brevard entrance to Pisgah National Forest is one of the finest in Western North Carolina with modern restroom and shower facilities available. It is near Sliding Rock and Looking Glass Falls, not to mention hundreds of miles of hiking trails in the national forest. It also happens to be the starting point for this hike.

After three weeks of hiking alone while the other Meanderthals were scattered far and wide across the country, one of my companions was back with renewed vigor and plenty of stories to tell. We decided to take the loop counterclockwise, so we headed around the campground along Davidson River in a westerly direction. The trail is on the south side of the river. This stretch of the Davidson is prime trout fishing water as it’s just a few miles downriver from the state hatchery.

The trail follows the river past shoals and swimming holes, small beaches and rocky crossings. The first landmark is the English Chapel, first built in 1860. By 1940, the original wooden building had all but fallen down, so the congregation pulled together to build the present rock church. The rocks came directly from the Davidson River as well as surrounding southeastern states. Colored rocks spell out the words “English Chapel” above the front entrance.

After 1.4 miles you will come to the North Slope Trailhead on the left. The riverside trail continues straight ahead, but we started our climb up the slope. Within the first hundred yards it was apparent there had been a recent prescribed burn in this area of Pisgah National Forest. With all the horrible forest fires out west this year, and seemingly every year, it’s good to see the local forest management folks take a proactive course. Unlike the drought stricken west, North Carolina forests have been blessed with refreshing rain all summer, so it has been unusually green even as fall approaches.

The orange blazed North Slope Trail climbs moderately for a mile through dense deciduous forest with occasional switchbacks to ease the ascent. With so much recent rain, the air was quite muggy, leaving a mid-morning fog in the woods. The sun rays through the trees striking the fog made an enchanting scene, one that almost made me forget how wet my clothes were getting with perspiration.

The Connector Trail between the North Slope and the Art Loeb is next. If you wish to continue the North Slope inner loop, take the easterly left fork at the junction. We continued straight ahead on the connector in a southerly direction. Look for the trail blaze change to yellow. The next 3/4 mile is the steepest part of the hike, climbing just under 600 feet. Just try to keep your focus on the beautiful laurel and hardwood forest, and off your burning lungs and legs, and you’ll be fine.

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