Want to see Asheville’s laid-back local hikers get riled up? Ask them to name the area’s finest hike. Then make peace by suggesting this two-day trek, an easy high-country ramble--with breezy unobstructed views--to Cold Mountain (yes, that one) and back.
From the parking lot at the end of Black Balsam Road, take the Ivestor Gap Trail northeast. This old logging road tracks along a 5,800-foot contour with hardly any elevation change. You’ll pass a springs within half a mile, perfect if you forgot to fill up. In 2.4 miles, you’ll reach Ivestor Gap, the 18,500-acre Shining Rock Wilderness boundary, and a three-way junction with the Ivestor Gap, Art Loeb, and Big East Trails. Veer left onto an unsigned singletrack curving through knee-high grasses into the poplar and dogwoods.
The trail rises gradually for the next .6 mile through berry thickets. At mile four you’ll reach an unmarked junction. Make a right and head to Shining Rock Gap at mile 4.4. Link to the Art Loeb Trail (a quartz cairn marks the way) heading north. You’ll gain elevation, eventually breaking a sweat on aptly named 5,869-foot Stairs Mountain. From here, tip-toe along the spine of a ridge called The Narrows before dropping 900 feet into Deep Gap, a popular camping area at mile 7.1. Press on to secluded sites on the west ridge of 6,030-foot Cold Mountain, a steep .9 mile north. Catch sunrise on the summit, then backtrack due south on the Art Loeb to the trip’s highlight, a five-mile ridgewalk across grassy balds laced with rhododendron-choked hollows. Cross Flower Knob at mile 13, Tennent Mountain at mile 15.7, and 6,214-foot Black Balsam Knob at mile 17.
It’s .6 mile back to the car, or 1.2 if you can’t resist one last night out.
--mapped by Shannon Davis
TO TRAILHEAD: From Asheville, take 1-26 south to NC 191. Go 2.4 miles to Frederick Law Olmsted Way, and quickly turn right onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Go 26,6 miles west to Black Balsam Rd. (milepost 420). Turn right and go 1.6 miles to the trailhead.
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TRK01
| Dist: 18.22 mi |
Points: 3368 |
Calories: none |
| Time: none |
Speed: 0.0 mph |
Pace: 0:00 / mi |
WPT001
Location: 35.325669°, -82.882003°
From lot, take Ivestor Gap Trail northeast
WPT002
Location: 35.326165°, -82.881047°
Art Loeb Spur Trail on right. Go straight along old fire road for Ivestor Gap Trail
WPT003
Location: 35.326498°, -82.879850°
Springs
WPT004
Location: 35.336949°, -82.877064°
Sheltered campsite, room for 1 tent
WPT005
Location: 35.340341°, -82.867954°
Junction with Art Loeb Trail; swing left, and head north.
WPT006
Location: 35.340870°, -82.867971°
Art Loeb Trail branches to the right. Head north-northeast up Ivestor Gap.
WPT007
Location: 35.345357°, -82.867178°
Enter Shining Rock Wilderness. Veer left to continue on the unsigned Ivestor Gap Trail which becomes singletrack.
WPT008
Location: 35.357569°, -82.865609°
Potential campsite, room for 1 tent on left.
WPT009
Location: 35.364889°, -82.870703°
Unmarked junction. Go Right.
WPT010
Location: 35.364325°, -82.863437°
Secluded campsite near junction.
WPT011
Location: 35.364183°, -82.863995°
Junction with Art Loeb Trail. Take Art Loeb north.
WPT012
Location: 35.369825°, -82.865210°
Excellent campsite on right.
WPT013
Location: 35.376212°, -82.868969°
Stairs Mountain (5,689 ft.)
WPT014
Location: 35.377864°, -82.868974°
Campsite on right, just north of Stairs Mountain.
WPT015
Location: 35.385271°, -82.868961°
Flat campsite under pines on right.
WPT016
Location: 35.388096°, -82.869849°
Killer campsite with views into Deep Gap. Room for 3 or 4 tents.
WPT017
Location: 35.394718°, -82.865757°
Sweet viewpoint along the spine of The Narrows
WPT018
Location: 35.409547°, -82.862318°
Decent water source after a long dry stretch.
WPT019
Location: 35.410802°, -82.863544°
Good campsite near summit. Secluded, good views. Go east to the true summit of Cold Mountain.
WPT020
Location: 35.409879°, -82.856769°
Cold Mountain (6,030 ft.) From here, backtrack on the Art Loeb to Shining Rock Gap then continue south to Flower Knob.
WPT021
Location: 35.363997°, -82.863874°
Cross grassy area at this junction and bear right to continue south on the Art Loeb Trail.
WPT022
Location: 35.363329°, -82.863910°
Jct with North Prong Shining Creek Trail. Stay straight.
WPT023
Location: 35.359131°, -82.863350°
Near highpoint of Flower Knob
WPT024
Location: 35.357031°, -82.864509°
Flower Gap; continue south
WPT025
Location: 35.350003°, -82.864294°
Unmarked junction. Go left to stay on the Art Loeb. Or summit Grassy Cove Top via an out and back trail straight ahead.
WPT026
Location: 35.345449°, -82.866953°
Junction. Make right, then quick left to stay on Art Loeb. Also, do a weather check here. If it looks like thunderstorms are a possibility, head east on the Graveyard Ridge Trail (another old fire road) to bypass the exposed highcountry balds.
WPT027
Location: 35.336977°, -82.869197°
6,040-foot Tennent Mountain. Named after Dr. Gallard Stoney Tennent who "established organized hiking in North Carolina."
WPT028
Location: 35.336076°, -82.873331°
Veer left at fork to climb Black Balsam Knob.
WPT029
Location: 35.330426°, -82.875229°
Confusing Intersection: Go straight to the summit of Black Balsam Knob.
WPT030
Location: 35.327819°, -82.874455°
Silvermine Benchmark
WPT031
Location: 35.327440°, -82.874386°
Summit of 6,214-foot Black Balsam Knob.
WPT032
Location: 35.325558°, -82.877192°
Take the Art Loeb Spur Trail for a .6 mile hike back to the trailhead, or continue straight for one more night of camping.
WPT033
Location: 35.323091°, -82.876189°
Perfect campsite near large pine.
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