Devils Courthouse, Black Balsam Knob, and Sam Knob - Pisgah National Forest, NC
Vložit
- čas přidán 18. 01. 2017
- One of the most scenic day hikes I've been on in years to notable summits in Pisgah National Forest tucked between the Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness Areas. I started on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail east from NC 215 towards Devils Courthouse. The views from the famous cliffs were just a warm-up for the rest of the day. Next were a series of south-facing cliffs on Chestnut and Silvermine Balds. Then I continued on the Art Loeb Trail to the incredible views from the grassy balds around Black Balsam Knob
I then went down to the Black Balsam Knob Rd parking lot to pick up the Sam Knob Summit Trail. Sam Knob is centrally located between the two wilderness areas and has awesome views from its two exposed summits. The loop is completed by taking the scenic Flat Laurel Creek Trail through a hanging valley. The trail follows the namesake creek by campsites and waterfalls with Sam Knob towering above. Just before you finish you'll also pass right by the base of Wildcat Falls. Easily one of the most scenic hikes in the state.
Hike was 12.1 miles with 2,205 feet elevation gain in 7 hours and 20 minutes.
Hike location
goo.gl/maps/HkYbL3cgSnAp74QU7
Hike report
www.hikingupward.com/PNF/Black...
![How to Hike Mt Mitchell [8k]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MWAKRcQNAsI/mqdefault.jpg)
I love watching your videos. For some reason I find them soothing.
First time I've heard that lol
I live at the bottom of cold mt.....know all these mountains by heart
I was camping up there one time and met an old cherokee family camping there also. They told me there was ancient caves on the backside of the ridge between Tennett mountain and Shining Rock. I have been up there looking for them a couple times but no luck so far. I love this area, its my favorite in NC for sure. The flat laurel creek is so amazing but the tributaries coming off Silvermine Bald are beautiful as well.
The outcropping at 8:28 was introduced to me as "the precipice." One of the best places in the area to enjoy your morning coffee. This brings back such wonderful memories.
I did part of this hike today, and let me tell you, the scenery is as spectacular as you described. I live in this area and have seen some impressive views, but this is just on the next level. I don't know if it's the lack of trees or the elevation, but you get an almost western feel, the horizon looks so far away on all sides and I literally felt a bit unsettled and somewhat dizzy with the scale, but at the same time was awestruck by the beauty. It's the closest thing to the Grand Canyon I've seen so far in the east.
It is one of the best areas, I still think Roan Highlands is slightly better.
@@bigzach322 I haven't been there yet! I'll be at Max Patch on 5/4 though.
Awesome loop! I did the ALT this past summer. Liked it so much I moved to NC.. lol think Ill do this loop in the spring. Great vid!!
That's great, you should enjoy this as well. Hits some of the sights adjacent to the ALT.
Thank you for sharing your video!!! I saw your video twice, before and after I visited Black Balsam Knob and absolutely loved the views!!! Thank you for your knowledge of the mountains.
That's great, glad you liked it.
Thanks for the discriptions of each peak. Climbed up their on Friday amazing vistas everywhere. Love the Art Loeb trail.
Thanks for watching, glad you had nice weather
Wow...just wow. Spectacular mountains and insanely beautiful creek. I agree...one of your best! Makes me want to get in the car and drive. :-D
I definitely recommend doing this in the winter since Black Balsam and Sam Knob are pretty crowded in the summer. My only regret is I didn't have more time to enjoy the creek, the sun was going down.
Enjoyed it as always.
Crazy the number of times I've been up thru Flat Laurel and never wandered over to Devils Courthouse. Next time.
Oh wow, it's only 0.2-mi from the MST lol. Really easy side trip.
That patch you were asking about is red spruce. It's my backpacking kryptonite. If the trail through red spruce is not blazed (as this one is) I tend to have a hard time following it through red spruce. The reason is that under the canopy all sorts of walking and game trails tend to form quickly and without blazes you can get easily lost, since the trees are of uniform circumference and height and present a homogeneous background that is a problem to try to negotiate--it all looks the same!
If you've never hiked to the top of Little Sam Knob you should do that. There's no trail (not even a manway the last time I did it), but it's easy to pick your way through the spruce to the top. And at the summit there's a small cliff face that gives excellent views from a different perspective than the ones accessible by established trails. I went there once with friends, and I hiked up there once and camped near the cliff. The ground is soft from the accumulation of spruce needles and there are tons great little spots to pitch a tent (or hang a hammock). It's hard to say if anyone else has even camped up there. No sign of it that I could see, but I suppose someone other than me has gotten the idea.
I'm bad at trees, a common theme in my videos. I've considered Little Sam but since it wasn't a 6K I've skipped it each time. If I'm trying to finish the 5K list then I'll be sure to do it, but that's a crowded area of the BRP so I probably won't get back for a while.
Great video. I've never done those areas in the winter. Black Balsam is really beautiful in mid September when the goldenrod (yellow) and mountain ash (red) are in bloom. And Flat Laurel Creek and the area on 215 north of the BRP has the earliest fall color in the region, usually in the first few days of October. It often doesn't last long, a cold windy day will blow it all away.
Winter is my favorite time to hike because the views are typically clearer, and people aren't around.
I live fairly close to Black Balsam (about an hour drive) and am retired, so I can go very early or late in the day on weekdays to avoid the crowds and to have the best light for photography. Some of the hikes in the woods definitely have much better views in winter when the leaves are off the trees.
That's mainly why I like the winter, you always feel like you are at higher elevation on trails in the trees. In the summer it is simply a tunnel with no perspective.
Flat Laurel Creek was impressive, going back up FLC trail to the parking lot Scout and I crossed numerous small streams feeding It.
Yeah the waterfalls look awesome from the pictures I've seen
U may have talked about this before, if u did I missed it. I'm thinking there's a book about the nc mountains in the works. Author Z. Robbins? None of your business is an ok answer.
No there's not a book. There's too many out there, I don't have anything unique to add.
Nice hike! I've done the hike up black Balsam but gonna have to go back and explore the rest of this area.. thanks for sharing!
Black Balsam is just the tip of the iceberg for this area.
Zachary Robbins if the weather stays nice gonna do this loop on Thursday
Hopefully it does
What a magical place this section of PNF is. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching
VERY informative video. Makes me more excited for my trip coming up.
I've never been to the area and would like to pick your brain/verify some mileage that you referenced. So I see on 215 where you started on MST, then you did the side trail for Devils Courthouse, then back on MST to the Art Loeb, a short side trip to Black Balsam Knob, then back and over to Ivestor/Sam Knob intersection, and then finished on Flat Laurel. Is that right? Was 10.6 roughly accurate for mileage?
If I was to do the four mile extension you referenced, would that be the Art Loeb trail past Tennant Mountain and then connect with Ivestor shortly thereafter?
I'm looking for an overnight backpacking loop to do and this seems like it would fit the bill with the added mileage but I don't want to get in over my head.
Thanks!
My link below has all of the mileage on this hike. The extension I reference is continuing on the Art Loeb Trail across Tennent Mt to Ivestor Gap, and following the Ivestor Gap Trail back to the parking area for the Sam Knob Trail. This adds roughly 3.5 miles. Ivestor Gap has good camping, but on summer weekends could be crowded. You could hike even further on the Art Loeb Trail to Flower Gap which also has camping. That's only a mile or so further. Keep in mind this whole area now requires bear canisters, too many novice backpackers cannot hang bags properly.
www.hikingupward.com/PNF/DevilsCourthouseBlackBalsamKnobSamKnob/
Zachary Robbins Thanks! We'll actually be there during the week so I'm hoping it won't be crowded.
It shouldn't be
hey Zachary great video can i ask where you got your trail map for this hike?
Not sure, REI, Great Outdoor Provision, Amazon, or National Forest Map Store. Whichever had it in stock, I've had it for many years. That map is also a free GeoPDF on the Avenza app.