Spectacular hike, the Art Loeb Trail from Shining Rock Wilderness to Black Balsam Knob.
To get there head south on the Blue Ridge Parkway, look for milepost 421, that’s our spot! Pull into the gravel lot on the right. Trailhead’s marked with white blazes like the Appalachian Trail, starts easy through woods, then climbs two thousand feet over rocky roots likely to take us three to four hours out. We’ll hit Shining Rock first, those quartz boulders shine like crazy in the morning, then ridge-walk to Black Balsam for 360 views. Maybe have a snack, lunch or even a beer!
To get back it’s a simple reverse on the same path back, total eleven miles round-trip. I’d call it moderate, but there’s some steep switchback going on.
