Art Loeb Trail

The 30.1 mile Art Loeb trail traverses the Pisgah Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest. It runs from the Davidson River, near the entrance to the Pisgah National Forest on US 276, across several landmark area peaks around the southern rim of the Davidson River valley. It crosses Pilot Mountain on the northern end of this dividing ridge, before climbing steeply to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Silvermine Bald, where it tops 6000' in elevation.

Next, the trail crosses Black Balsam Knob (click for photos), where there is a plaque commemorating Art Loeb and the Trail. This is the most famous and most popular section of the trail, for good reason. The views and uniqueness of this section of trail are second to none! Finally, it travels across the mountain balds and through the Shining Rock Wilderness past Shining Rock itself, then up Cold Mountain, before descending steeply to end near the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp on the Little East Fork Pigeon River. This trail is a memorial to Art Loeb, an activist from the Carolina Mountain Club, and a man who "deeply loved these mountains."

For a map of the trail, use the Davidson River and Shining Rock Wilderness maps. The Art Loeb trail uses the same trail as the Mountains to Sea & Mountains to Sea Alternate trails along portions of its length.