Begin the hike on the signed Looking Glass Rock trail at the back of the parking lot. You immediately enter an open forest with mostly hemlocks, traveling uphill beside a small stream. This stream drains the left side of the small ridge you'll generally follow all the way up to the summit of the mountain, and it runs crystal clear, when it's not dried up! The trail will swing right and cross the creek, then ascends the ridge on the opposite side. The trail along this lower section does climb, but only moderately so, and the surface is in generally good condition. You'll round the ridge, and climb into the cove on the right side of it, where a larger stream flows. There are some nice, but small, cascades on this creek. Climbing upstream, the trail is high above the water on a narrow bench on the hillside. At times, it dips into side coves where it crosses small seeps, but no real tributaries.
Soon the trail hits the first of many switchbacks, and at this point the woods are thin and open. You'll be able to see the trail both below and above you as you begin winding in and out of small side coves. There are so many switchbacks, the trail never really becomes extremely steep. As you climb, the switchbacks become tighter and more frequent and generally stick to the face of the small ridge. About 1/3 of the way to the top of the mountain, you'll reach a switchback with a large Carolina hemlock anchoring it. Just past the hemlock is a 30' sheer drop-off. You have a limited view of the cliffs on the north side of the rock at this point. Below you, during wet weather, a small trickle of water chuckles over the rocks.
You're ascending the very steep band which completely surrounds Looking Glass Rock, and forms the large cliffs which exist on three sides. The mountain is kind of a ridge, and at the back side of it, which you are climbing, this band merely creates a very steep mountainside rather than cliffs. That's why the trailbuilders chose to ascend here. For the next few switchbacks, you'll be ascending this slope. The forest around the steep band consist largely of Carolina hemlocks. This is a relatively rare species which thrives in the thin soils and high exposure areas of North Carolina's rocky mountainsides. In fact, this tree is only found in southwestern Virginia, eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and parts of upstate South Carolina and Georgia. The tree just looks like it belongs here. It has a shape similar to the more alpine species of spruces and firs which live at higher elevations, and you can distinguish it from the Eastern hemlock (which is much more common) by its stiffer needles which emerge from the stem at all angles, rather than in a flat plane. The seeds are the longest of any of the native hemlocks. It is commonly found growing with oaks, and above the steep band, the forest consists mostly of oaks. Some of them have fallen due to high winds in recent years.
The trail curves into a small cove carved out of the top of the ridge, with a gulch at the bottom that is dry most of the time. You'll pass a nice, large campsite on the left, then swing left and ascend the side of the cove. You're approaching the halfway point of the hike at this time, and the trail is becoming steeper and rougher. Ever-present in the Southern Appalachians are rhododendron and mountain laurel bushes, and there is no lack of them here either. The trail slips off to the left side of the main ridge. You will cross a small, wet-weather tributary, which must plunge over a waterfall at some point downstream. If there is water here, there is none any further along the trail. You'll then switchback right, then left, as you start to pass and even cross over some of the large rock slabs which characterize the top of this mountain. After the left hand switchback, you'll pass a flat slab on your left which is used as a helicopter pad. It is marked with a big "H" as would be expected. At the edge of the helipad, carved into the rock, is the following:The final push to the top of the mountain is somewhat steep and eroded, so watch your footing. The actual summit is quite unimpressive - it's round and almost flat, covered by oak, mountain laurel, and rhododendron. There is a nice campsite on the left, just before the top, however. The trail will actually start downhill before it emerges at the top of the major cliffs on the west-northwest facing side of the mountain. The view is, of course, wonderful. Be careful and stay on the flatter rock at the edge of the forest. You'll be looking up toward the Pisgah Ridge and can see the Blue Ridge Parkway and Black Balsam Mountain. Closer to where you're standing, small gullies have been carved into the rock by water seeping out of the mat of roots, dirt, rocks, and forest duff that caps the rock. Watch out for patches of water, algae, pine needles, or ice on the rock that could send you sliding as you search for the perfect spot for a photograph!
When you are finished soaking up the view, return to your vehicle via the same trail.
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