Deep in the heart of Shining Rock Wilderness is the namesake, a mountain made of quartz, standing more than 6,000 feet. On bright sunny days you can see the white quartz “shining” from miles away. The Cherokee called it Datsu’nălâsgûñ’yĭ, “where their tracks are this way,” that refers to a white rock that is said to have tracks of Tsul ‘Kalu and his children. There are a half dozen trails through the wilderness that meet at Shining Rock, but the most direct is the Ivestor Gap Trail. If you’re new to Shining Rock Wilderness, this is a nice introduction. You can then decide if you wish to explore some of the more remote and difficult trails that criss-cross the wilderness. Access is from the Black Balsam spur road at milepost 420 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We enjoyed the trek to Shining Rock on Thursday, June 25, 2015 beginning at 8:30AM and finishing at 12:50PM. Our plan was to take the Ivestor Gap Trail from Black Balsam Road directly to Shining Rock, and back.

After more than a week of 90+ temperature, it was time to head into the high country for some cool mountain air. Shining Rock Wilderness fit the request nicely. With a half dozen peaks over 6,000 feet, and most of the rest over 5,000, it is guaranteed to be 10-15° cooler than the surrounding valleys. The high country is the place to go for summer hiking in the Southern Appalachians.

You may ask, why would anyone want to hike nearly five miles out and five miles back to see a white mountain? Because it’s there. Because the white quartz is really cool. Because of the great exercise. Because of the peace and serenity that exists in the wilderness. Because of the wonderful things that are found along the way. Because of the amazing view of the expanse of Shining Rock Wilderness. Because it is far better than anything you can find on your couch. C’mon. Get out there!

The Ivestor Gap Trail begins at the dead end of Black Balsam Road, a turnoff at mile 420 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. As you approach the parking area, the trail is on your right. It is actually an old logging road, leftover from the early 20th century when this entire area was valued for its exceptional timber. You will notice right off the bat how rocky this road is. Don’t expect that to change, at least until you get to Ivestor Gap itself, roughly two miles out. It might be a good idea to wear high top hiking footwear to help with ankle support.

Because of the wonderful things that are found along the way

From May until September it seems there is always something blooming along Ivestor Gap Trail. Whether it be the tiny bluets or chickweed early in the season, the laurels and azaleas in early summer, or the tall goldenrod or thistle of autumn — you are bound to catch something colorful in the corner of your eye. On this particular day, we were treated to mountain laurel, morning glory, and flame azalea.

The morning glories are plentiful along Ivestor Gap. Be sure to arrive, umm – in the morning – to catch these beauties all through summer.

The Ivestor Gap Trail circles around the massive Black Balsam Knob as it heads toward Shining Rock Wilderness. Most of the views along the trail are to the west, including of Sam Knob and Fork Mountain, and the many drainages that plunge toward the Pigeon River. This is also blueberry country. You will notice thousands of low bushes, and the picker trails that criss-cross the hillsides. Hundreds of folks come up here in late August to fill themselves with the indigo lusciousness.

Approximately two miles along you reach the boundary of Shining Rock Wilderness. Bear (no pun intended) left here to stay on the Ivestor Gap Trail. Then, a short quarter mile later you reach Ivestor Gap. When we arrived we were greeted by about two dozen teenage girls who were on a camping trip with llamas. They all wanted to tell the story of the black bear who prowled around their camp the night before looking for goodies. They were really excited and gleeful, having a real wilderness experience to share forever.

There are many trail options at Ivestor Gap. You can take the Art Loeb Trail up and over 6,000′ Grassy Cove Top. If you don’t think you want to continue further into the wilderness, you can also take the Art Loeb back south across Tennent Mountain and Black Balsam, returning to the parking area. For the hike we’re talking about here, though, bear left again to stay on the Ivestor Gap Trail.

Because of the peace and serenity that exists in the wilderness

For the next couple miles you will be proceeding along the Shining Rock Ledge. The trail gets more comfortable here, free of the constant rocks that are hard on the feet. You will pass under dark rhododendron tunnels, then pop out into the bright sunshine with views across the valley of Middle Prong Wilderness and the giant Richland Balsam Mountain. Then back into the soothing canopy of mountain laurel and azalea, and the exquisite forest aroma of spruce and fir.

It is peaceful and quiet here. You can hear your foot steps… and your heart beat. There are no roads for miles. This is wilderness. The sounds are natural. The sweet song of a thrush perched on a rhododendron branch. The chip, chip, chipping of a red squirrel as he defies you to take his picture. The howls of coyotes echoing across the ridges from who knows how many miles away. Now is the time to use your senses. Listen. Smell. Look. Taste. Touch. It is all there for you.

Two miles beyond Ivestor Gap you will begin to notice white rocks scattered near the trail. This is quartz, and it means you are nearing Shining Rock. You will pass a trail coming up from your left. This is Little East, and it eventually goes all the way to the Daniel Boone Scout Camp. Continue straight, though, for another hundred yards or so to what I like to call the wagon wheel trail junction.

There are trails coming from seemingly every direction that meet here at the base of Shining Rock. There is Ivestor Gap Trail of course, but also the continuation of the Art Loeb through The Narrows and on to Cold Mountain. The Old Butt and Shining Creek Trails also meet here. It’s all like spokes on a wagon wheel.

Because the white quartz is really cool

The final spoke is the spur trail that goes to the summit of Shining Rock. How do you know which one it is? From the clearing in the center of the wagon wheel, look for a sign that denotes the Art Loeb Trail and says 4 miles to Cold Mountain. Use that to get your bearings. Now turn to your right and walk about 50 feet and look for a trail on your left. That is the one you want.

The summit is about a quarter mile distance and 230 feet of climbing through thick, dark and aged rhododendron canopy, past large quartz boulders, and over evergreen needles deposited by decades of seasons. We could hear voices for the first time since Ivestor Gap. There were others up top. There are multiple crests on the summit. We stopped on one of them to enjoy our lunch and leave the one at the point to the other fellows. The photo at the top of this post is Ken settling in on the quartz for his picnic.

Because of the amazing view of the expanse of Shining Rock Wilderness. This is the view south. You can also see The Narrows ledge off to the west, and in winter you can see Cold Moutain and Mt. Pisgah.

Once we finished lunch, the other guys had moved on, so I was able to go out to the point for the amazing views of Shining Rock Wilderness. I am always in awe of this setting. You are sitting at 6,040 feet, on shiny, bright white quartz. You can see nearly a dozen more mountains surrounding you that stand above 6,000 as well. On this day, the spruce krummholz that shares the summit with the white stone was an amazing bright green and smelled heavenly. The foliage here is very, very healthy.

A word of warning though. Because thousands of folks have crawled on Shining Rock over the centuries, the quartz has been worn quite smooth. Combined with the steep angles and awkward slopes, it can be an extreme slipping hazard. You won’t fall hundreds of feet, but if you do fall, you are likely to bang something that will leave a mark. So be careful. You don’t want your companion to have to haul you all the way out of the wilderness.

When you get back to the wagon wheel junction there are so many options available to you for the return. If you had planned a shuttle hike and left multiple cars at multiple trailheads, you can try any of the trails I mentioned above. However, our plan was to simply return the same way we came.

To summarize, this hike is a great introduction to many of the features that Shining Rock Wilderness has to offer. Although somewhat long, it is really quite easy, being almost totally flat, until the last quarter mile to the summit of Shining Rock. It’s great hiking exercise. Ken and I were able to complete the nearly 10 miles in just over four hours at a leisurely pace. It can be kinda hard on the feet because of all the rock on the old logging road, but just wear the appropriate shoes and you will be fine.

This hike is only available when the Blue Ridge Parkway is open, so it is seasonal. You are likely to be able to get access to the trailhead April through November. Check the Parkway closures site before making plans.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

This a continuation beyond the hike described in the Black Balsam Knob and Tennent Mountain trail report. The Art Loeb Trail continues down the north side of Tennent Mountain to Grassy Cove. There it meets the Ivestor Gap Trail for a lengthy hike into Shining Rock Wilderness. The area was named by the Cherokee for the large deposits of quartz found along what has become known as the Shining Rock Ledge. The Ivestor Gap Trail avoids having to cross up and over Grassy Cove Top, Flower Gap, and Flower Knob. Ivestor Gap reattaches with Art Loeb at Shining Rock Gap and goes through The Narrows and on to Cold Mountain and eventually the Daniel Boone Scout Camp. This hike occurred on Thursday, June 2, 2011. We started at 10:05AM and finished a few minutes before 5:00PM. The plan was to start at the Black Balsam Road parking area and take the Ivestor Gap Trail 3.7 miles to where it meets the Art Loeb Trail at Shining Rock Gap. From there we would cross as much of The Narrows as our stamina would allow, knowing we had to return the equal distance. The entire round trip was 13 miles.

View Ivestor Gap and Art Loeb Trails to The Narrows, Shining Rock Wilderness in a larger map

Even last year I wouldn’t have tried this hike. I simply didn’t have the strength yet to do these half marathon day hikes. I think what really encouraged me was continuing a regular hiking regimen even through the winter months. And you know what? I found that I really enjoyed winter hiking. Well, because I kept my fitness up, I felt ready to give this one a go and talked the other Meanderthals into it. One of our trio had already done this hike twice before, so we knew what we were getting ourselves into. It is long… as long as you want to make it… and we weren’t even going all the way to Cold Mountain. The good news is that 2/3 of the hike is flat. The bad news is the part that isn’t flat is very strenuous rocky ridge terrain.

The Ivestor Gap Trailhead shares the parking area with the Sam Knob Trailhead. The first 50-55 minutes of the trail follows an old logging road that winds around Black Balsam Knob on the right, and offers a great view of the twin peaks of Sam Knob on the left, as well as the Middle Prong Wilderness further into the distance. Right away we got a charge — we hit the rhododendron in full bloom. Yay timing! The photo at the top of this post is an example. Click on it for a larger view.

We sure knew when we reached Grassy Cove. This is a trail junction for four different trails. The Art Loeb and Ivestor Gap head north, the Greasy Ridge Trail heads east, and the Graveyard Ridge Trail goes south to Graveyard Fields. Other times I have been to Grassy Cove there were tents setup in the cove, but there weren’t any on this day.

As mentioned above, the Ivestor Gap Trail is a great alternative for avoiding a lot of unnecessary climbing. Some people like to hike the Art Loeb Trail just to say they’ve done it. However, over the next two miles the Art Loeb climbs over 5800′ Grassy Cove Top, then drops down into Flower Gap, then goes back up again to Flower Knob, then back down and back up to Shining Rock. Sure, there are some nice views of the eastern portion of the Shining Rock Wilderness from up top, but the simple fact is the Ivestor Gap Trail is totally flat until it gets to Shining Rock Gap. Yes, I felt I was in good enough shape to hike 13 miles, but why do unnecessary climbing when you don’t have to. Besides, the Ivestor Gap Trail turned out to be quite lovely too. Much of the trail was in a canopy — either thick rhododendron groves that were in full bloom, or a hardwood and balsam mix that filled the air with delightful aromas. Occasionally, we would get a peek through the trees to the west and down the Little East Fork of the Pigeon River drainage.

The Ivestor Gap Trail rejoins the Art Loeb at Shining Rock. It is a short, but steep 1/4 mile climb to the pinnacle of Shining Rock on a spur trail, a must see. Don’t miss this. The quartz is paper white, and slick, very slick because it is so smooth. It is absolutely appropriate to have hiking shoes with a good grip. There is a beautiful 180° westerly view of the black balsam forest that surrounds the rock. For the first time, our destination came into view. We could see the seemingly endless ridge of the Shining Rock Ledge and The Narrows sprawling across the horizon. It looked to be a series of ups and downs, but none more than 150 feet or so elevation change. Little did we know how steep those ups and downs would be. We enjoyed our lunch will sitting on this fabulous pristine wilderness pinnacle.

The easy part was over. As we continued northward on the Art Loeb now, the terrain became more rugged and less flat. We continued to see the white stones and boulders jutting out from the earth that gave this wilderness its name. After about 3/4 mile we reached Stairs Mountain on our right and the Shining Rock Ledge. The trail was a lot more narrow, and curvy, and we began to see that we were on a narrow ridge as the ground dropped down on both sides. Another nice surprise greeted us on this ridge as we were treated to lots of flaming azalea in full bloom. This native azalea tree has a blaze-like bright orange color to its blossoms. Beautiful! The trail kept getting rockier and rockier, and then the serious ups and downs started. This was hands and feet climbing, and sliding down on our backside. The trail itself became less obvious — except that it had to be on the ridge — everything else was down, down, down. I don’t mind telling you it was very fatiguing. We reached a point with a small overlook and stopped to suck some air. We all came to a consensus that we had probably gone far enough. After all, we still had to go the same distance back.

We took off our packs and sat down to rest. Our partner who had been here before thought he remembered another overlook that was not too much farther up the ridge. After a breather, he and I decided to push on. Our third stayed behind to keep an eye on the packs. In about 200 yards we were rewarded with a hazy westerly view. We could see the Daniel Boone Scout Camp in the East Fork Pigeon River valley below and Cold Mountain to our right. Straight ahead was ridge after ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We pulled out our topo map to survey the terrain, and picked out some trails for future Meanderthals meandering. We didn’t stay long, then headed back to pick up our gear and begin the tortuous return back up, down, and over The Narrows.

When I got back to my pack, I changed into a dry shirt. I sure was thinking ahead when I packed that the night before. It was pretty hot and humid and even the moisture wicking material was saturated. The dry shirt gave me 10 more horsepower. It took us about an hour to get back through all the rough and tumble up and down terrain of The Narrows and The Ledge. About 2/3 of the way back up there was a strategically placed log that became home for a very welcome breather. Finally as we once again approached Shining Rock, the trail flattened out, and even though there were still four miles to go, we knew the worst was over.

Or so we thought. The farther we went, the more threatening the skies became. We began to hear thunder rumbling in the distance. Fortunately we were no longer on the ledge, but it’s never a good idea to be in the forest in a thunderstorm. We began to pick up our pace, and took turns leading. We could hear the thunder getting louder and closer from the east, and the wind began to pick up some. We reached Grassy Cove and knew we were now less than an hour away. There was another hiker laying on the grass looking at his trail guide book and his eyes sure lit up when he heard our voices. He was lost. He wanted to go to Cold Mountain to camp. His map was junk, so we pulled out our map and showed him how to get there. He was very grateful, but I just knew he was going to get nailed by this incoming storm later on.

Well, we almost made it. We were about 1/2 mile from the car when it began to rain. It was signaled by a thunder clap on top of Black Balsam Knob that made us all jump. We quickly pulled out the rain gear and then the hail started. As we were scurrying down the trail, we kept one eye peeled for any kind of shelter in case the hail stones got any bigger. Fortunately we made it back to the car without getting pummeled.

I’m happy I have now done this hike. Occasionally we like to test our limits, and this was probably just about right for mine in the physical condition I am at this stage of my life. Shining Rock is definitely a place worth seeing. It is beautiful. And The Narrows, if nothing else, is certainly exciting. Maybe some day I will really push myself and go all the way to Cold Mountain, but I’ve been there via the other end of the Art Loeb Trail. For now, I am content with what I accomplished.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Cold Mountain gained national attention following the publishing of Charles Frazier’s Civil War era novel in 1997. Western NC hiking enthusiasts have known of its appeal for much longer. Cold Mountain is a real mountain that stretches 6030′ and is located in the Shining Rock Wilderness and Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. You can reach the spur trail to the summit on the Art Loeb Trail; section 3 from the south, or section 4 from the west. The trail was named for a member of the Carolina Mountain Club who devoted much of his senior years to caring for the area. It is one of the most popular hiking trails in western NC, and deservedly so. This hike occurred on November 11, 2010 beginning at 8:00AM and ending about 3:00PM. The plan was to take section 4 of the Art Loeb Trail from the Daniel Boone Scout Camp to the summit spur trail at Deep Gap, then on to the top. The descent would be back the way we came.

View Art Loeb Trail to Cold Mountain in a larger map

It takes awhile to get to the Daniel Boone Scout Camp. It is truly out in the rural country, but isn’t that what you’d expect for wilderness hiking? The Art Loeb Trail is near the back of the camp, and is well marked with a large sign. The morning was beautiful, brisk and sunny. On the first mile or so of the hike, I could tell it was an area near a wealth of seasonal campers. The trail was very well maintained with lots of rock and log stairs to aid with climbing. The camp counselors no doubt enjoy having the free camper labor to take care of trail maintenance. This time of year, though, the trail was completely covered with fallen leaves. The hike uses two trails: the Art Loeb for the first 3.8 miles to Deep Gap, then the Cold Mountain summit spur for another 1.5 miles.

It’s a steep climb right off the bat, then the trail takes a series of switch backs, jumping nearly 1200 feet in the first 1.5 miles. Our crew was the usual three, and of course we whined as always about all the up hill. We wouldn’t be Meanderthals if we didn’t. It’s a thick hardwood forest on the way to Deep Gap, and in November with the leaves off the trees, we could see some of the surrounding mountains, as well as what lie ahead of us on the trail. We crossed Sorrell Creek twice, the first time after about a mile and a half, the 2nd another mile later. The 3.8 miles on the Art Loeb climb a total of 1800 feet with the first part and the last part being the steepest. In between was a gradual grade. There are a couple stretches where the trail follows an old logging road. We had heard about a spring near Deep Gap, so when we came upon it, we knew we were close… about 2/10 of a mile. That last bit will test your legs and lungs.

At Deep Gap we encountered a group of bear hunters and stopped to chat for awhile. Their dogs were beautiful, and anxious to find a scent. The dogs were all wearing GPS collars, and the hunters had receivers for the signals. I’ve never been hunting, but this seemed an interesting application of technology. It took us a little more than two hours to get to Deep Gap, so the breather was nice, especially considering we still had to climb another 1000 feet on the Cold Mountain spur trail.

From Deep Gap to the summit, the forest and terrain decidedly changed. The wind and weather ravaged trees are gnarled and lichen covered. The rhododendron thickets we passed on the way up to Deep Gap now changed to the heartier laurels. There are outcroppings near the trail that foretold what was to come at the top. There are a number of camp sites along the trail, as Cold Mountain is a popular destination for over-nighters. After about 45 minutes of strenuous climbing, we reached the base of the summit where there are dozens of primitive camp sites. They are fairly exposed, so if I were planning on camping there, I would certainly hope it wasn’t a windy night.

The summit of Cold Mountain is a long, narrow ridge that is mostly exposed granite with laurel bushes and other ground cover clinging to the rock for dear life. There is a 180 degree panorama looking south toward the Black Balsam area. You can clearly see Mt. Pisgah, Black Balsam Knob, Sam Knob, Shining Rock, and The Narrows in the distance, and Deep Gap below from any number of rocky outcrops that dot the summit. To the east is the Pisgah Ridge (seen in the photo at the top of this post), and looking west reveals the Great Balsam Mountains and the Middle Prong Wilderness. We found a flat outcrop with a great view of the total area before us and enjoyed our lunch, along with the awe-inspiring scenery. We stayed for about an hour before making ourselves get ready for the descent. It was hard to leave this picturesque setting.

The problem with fallen leaves on a steep descent is slippage. We were fine going back down to Deep Gap, but boy was the Art Loeb Trail treacherous on the way back down. I managed to avoid falling, but I certainly slipped a lot. It’s impossible to tell what is under the leaves… roots, loose rock, wet trail… and the leaves were thick. One of my partners had three separate falls on the way down. I feel confident that section 4 of the Art Loeb is as well maintained as the other three sections are. Art Loeb is generally a beautiful, however well-used trail. But you can’t do much about leaves. That’s what happens in the Fall. The leaves fall, then hikers fall, it’s Fall. For the last three miles of our descent we were delighted to be joined by one of the bear dogs we saw at Deep Gap. She followed us all the way down to the trailhead. Hopefully those GPS locators helped the hunters retrieve their dog. Near the entrance of the scout camp, we stopped for a bit to take in a beautiful scene of a pond reflecting the sky, forest, and an old barn.

On the drive back home, we took a little side trip along Hwy. 215 to take a glance at Lake Logan. It’s a small, recreational lake with lots of picnic tables and cozy pullouts. As usual, I couldn’t resist a few photographs. As we crossed back over Wagon Road Gap on Hwy. 276, we popped on the Blue Ridge Parkway for one last view from the Cold Mountain Overlook. It is a majestic sight. The mountain dominates the surrounding area. One of these days I will approach Cold Mountain from section 3 of the Art Loeb Trail. The ascent isn’t as steep, but the distance is a lot longer. So much hiking, so little time.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.