We’re a sucker for hikes with mountain views so Black Balsam Knob has been on our list for a while, but it always seemed that we had poor weather or simply ran out of time. This last trip to Asheville, though, Matt made our Black Balsam Knob dreams come true. Now that we’re hiking with a really little one (just 3 months old at the time of this hike), we try to keep those hikes under three miles. The traditional hike up Black Balsam Knob is 5 miles, but Matt found a better option for us, currently, that gave us the same beautiful payoff in the end: Black Balsam Knob via the Art Loeb Trail.
Quick Info About Black Balsam Knob via Art Loeb Trail
TRAIL LENGTH VIA THE ART LOEB TRAIL: 1.5 miles total, out and back
TRAIL DIFFICULTY: Moderate
GETTING TO BLACK BALSAM KNOB VIA ART LOEB TRAILHEAD: This trail is located just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway on Black Balsam Rock Road. Before the road comes to an end (which is the Sam Knob trailhead) you’ll see a parking area to the right of the road with a sign – that is beginning of this trail. There is limited parking, but we didn’t have any trouble finding a spot.
ELEVATION: 6,214 feet. There are 40 mountains in North Carolina over 6k feet. Black Balsam is 23rd highest.
OTHER TRAILS NEARBY: If you continue on this Art Loeb Trail, you can turn it into a 5 mile loop that takes you over to Tennant Mountain as well. If you continue down Black Balsam Road, you’ll come to the Sam Knob Trailhead. You can combine trails in this area to see many different mountain views. Also, Graveyard Fields and Devil’s Courthouse are just up the street (each in opposite directions) and either (or both) would make a beautiful addition to a trip up in the mountains.
BE BEAR AWARE: The Blue Ridge Mountains is home to a large population of black bears. Be mindful as you hit the trails near Asheville that you very well could come across a bear.
Hiking Black Balsam Knob
After getting to enjoy the scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, it’s crazy to think that a hike will genuinely ‘wow‘ you, but this hike is a stunner. After finding your parking spot at the trailhead on Black Balsam Road, just pack up and get started on your hike. The trail begins through a super dense grove of Black Balsam trees. This patch of black balsams looks almost like a fairy grove, especially if you go in the morning as the sun peeks through and casts bursts of light. I can only imagine how magical and mysterious it would look in the early morning fog.
Almost as soon as we exited the grove, we started to get peeps of stunning views. The Blue Ridge Parkway already started to seem small from our vantage point. As we went up we saw lots of little spurs through tall brush that led a little closer to the edge for a less obstructed view. It was so tempting to take every single one of these, but just know, especially if you’re a little tight on time, the views from the top are far superior.
Since it’s really only .75 miles to the top of this mountain, you get up there faster than you would think. The Art Loeb Trail plaque is located on a section of stone at the edge of the mountain. From this section of stone you can already get 360 views of the nearby peaks and see down over the Blue Ridge Parkway. We continued on to what we assumed was the actual Black Balsam Knob Summit. From Black Balsam Knob, you can continue on to other peaks or simply turn back. But don’t just go up and back. Take time to wander around up there and soak up the fresh mountain air. The peace and the unreal views combine to make that mountain magic. We spent about 30 minutes wandering around the summit and to different little spurs to even just get slightly different views.
Sometimes I hear people say that they think out and back trails are rather boring because it’s the same thing twice. While that’s technically true, I disagree that it’s boring because you get to see the same trail from a different view. So, in my opinion, it’s far from boring. You get to still experience something new.
The Black Balsam Knob via Art Loeb Trail hike is very straightforward. It’s a simple up and down, but the views are far from simple. If you’re looking for an amazing mountain view that is located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, from our experience, it doesn’t get much better than Black Balsam Knob. It’s a lot of bang for a relatively short trail, for sure.
Don’t Forget to Pack…
We love to hike and because of that we’ve used a lot of different brands and options of outdoor equipment. That has helped us narrow down some of our very favorites. These are items we would recommend for this hike. It’s a short hike, so it won’t require much.
It may seem odd to add travel insurance to a “packing list” but after falling and breaking my arm while hiking in Thailand, I know travel insurance is worth the money.
Now that you’re all geared up, and have the perfect place to hike, there’s nothing keeping you from taking your own Blue Ridge Mountain adventure up Black Balsam Knob!
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