Art Loeb Trail Backpacking Adventure Guide Notes

Art Loeb Trail

The Art Loeb Trail is a 30-mile hike through Pisgah National Forest and Shining Rock Wilderness. It is one of the most well-known backpacking trips near Asheville and is often rated as one of the top multi-day hikes in the United States. However, don’t let the accolades fool you. Its popularity doesn’t mean that it is easy. The trail is rocky and rooty, and some sections climb nearly 1,000 feet in a mile regardless of which direction you hike. The Art Loeb Trail was established in 1969 by the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) to connect the Davidson River Campground to Camp Daniel Boone and passes through many diverse ecosystems and climbs up and over the Great Balsam Range for spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Ultrarunners can complete the route in a single day. Some experienced backpackers hike the trail in two sections and camp near Black Balsam Knob. The most common approach to hiking the Art Loeb Trail is spending three days and two nights on the trail. The Guide Notes split the trail into three sections and outline potential campsites, distances between campsites and water points, elevation profiles, and recommended side trips with all the information you need to design an adventure that works for you. We have hiked the Art Loeb Trail in winter, spring, summer, and fall, and the Guide Notes contain detailed and objective information to make planning your adventure as easy as possible.

Shining Rock Wilderness

The most popular sections of the trail are the areas around Black Balsam Knob near Shining Rock Wilderness. The Blue Ridge Parkway brings thousands of travelers to the grassy balds above 6,000 feet in elevation. The high point of the Blue Ridge Parkway is also the highlight for many visitors. Most people explore Black Balsam Knob and Sam Knob on short day hikes. Much fewer people visit Shining Rock Wilderness and camp overnight at Black Balsam Knob. One of the wonderful things about hiking the full Art Loeb Trail is visiting these popular sights when fewer people are around and exploring less traveled areas that are just as beautiful. Don’t get us started on the parking mayhem that is the Black Balsam parking area.

The Art Loeb Trail joins the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and intersects with a dozen other trails near Black Balsam. Shining Rock Wilderness has unmarked but well-established trails. The Guide Notes include a detailed digital trail map, GPS directions, and a printable trail map for exploring less popular areas and creating your own unique adventure.

You don’t need to secure a permit or make campsite reservations in advance, but there are a few important regulations for camping in the Shining Rock Wilderness and Black Balsam Knob area. Fires are not allowed in Shining Rock Wilderness, and bear canisters are required for camping in both areas. See the Guide Notes for more information.

Shining Rock Wilderness and Black Balsam Knob Weather

On a clear day, the views above the mountains are nearly endless. However, the weather at Black Balsam Knob and Shining Rock Wilderness can change dramatically in a short time. The Guide Notes contain detailed information about seasonal weather patterns, links to forecasts, and a weather graph for planning your trip. The most important thing to know about the weather at 6,000 feet is that it is 10-15 degrees colder and much more windy than in the cities below. The open balds are also highly exposed to thunderstorms that can seemingly appear out of nowhere.

Art Loeb Trail Map

North of Black Balsam, cell phone reception is unreliable. We recommend downloading offline maps and carrying a physical map. The Art Loeb Trail crosses six topographic quadrangle maps. We assembled all the relevant sections into one continuous map for digital use or printing. Guide Notes also include GPX files that can be used with Google Maps or any GPS device. To reduce the stress of planning a backpacking adventure and promote responsible travel, the Adventure Nerds topographic maps and GPX directions have trails, parking, resupply locations, campsites, water points, and notable sights marked.

Art Loeb Backpacking Adventure Guide Notes

Guide Notes is a digital-first publication. This means the book is searchable and has interactive links. You can save the eBook to your phone for offline access. The efficient organization of the resource page will save you hours searching for the right information. Guide Notes are also designed for printing at home. Print only the pages you need and create your own mini-book for digital-free travel.

The Art Loeb Trail Backpacking Adventure Guide Notes are based on many trips in all seasons and have been edited and fact-checked for accuracy and objectivity. Please review the Guide Notes and our Backpacking and Hiking Trails Difficulty Ratings to understand the difficulty of the Art Loeb Trail (Level 3). Remember, your experience, your group, and the adventure you choose will impact your experience.

• A 40-page guidebook guidebook for backpacking the Art Loeb Trail and camping in Pisgah National Forests and Shining Rock Wilderness
• Alternative hiking and backpacking routes with descriptions and GPS directions
• A detailed digital and printable trail map of Pisgah National Forest
• An overview of the natural history and cultural history of the area
• Weather information and seasonal considerations
• Links to dozens of resources in one organized, easy-to-use place
• Information about gear requirements, packing, and risk management
• Detailed descriptions of parking options and Art Loeb Trail shuttles
• Recommendations, tips, and more

Finally, we recommend visiting the Carolina Mountain Club and Pisgah Conservancy to learn more about ways to support conservation and recreation in Pisgah National Forest.