Shining Rock Wilderness

Fantastic place to relax and decompress in nature for a weekend. Great views and the trails are fairly well maintained. Some of the most spectacular views on the Blue Ridge Parkway and climbing up Shining Rock was very fun.

If you are looking for the fall colors, there is no better spot!! Hiking up the art Loeb and seeing the vastness of the mountains and the color of the trees. It is like a museum painting but in real life. Definitely worth the time and effort.

Beautiful easy going hike.

One of my favorites in NC. Magical place.

Enjoyed this trail, a little rocky, but very wide trail...not cramped like some of the other narrow trails in the area. We accessed the trail just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, beyond Grave Yard Fields. Had time to walk a few miles to a nice view and then turned back.

Fantastic scenery/views. Varied terrain, some of it technical and challenging. If you're going in deep, bring a first aid/emergency kit and good orienteering skills. I used AllTrails after downloading maps and it was great. But also bring a good map and compass as a backup. The trails are not marked in many cases and it's easy to get mixed up.

One of the most beautiful 360 °views in the Eastern USA thanks to a forest fire decades ago which destroyed all the trees on the mountain top. Drive here on the hottest day of the summer and enjoy the cool winds above 6000 foot elevation. The Art Loeb Trail is ridiculously easy from the starting point on Black Balsam Knob Road. Once atop Black Balsam just follow the ridge to several other 6000-foot high peaks. See my photos.

Great for backpacking - multiple campsites with amazing views

Fun hike with some beautiful to take a dip

Wow what a beautiful tucked away spot along the blue ridge parkway! Such a beautiful area with endless 360° views. Also closer to shinning rock beautiful forest trails. Will definitely be returning to this area.

Summit trail head was easy to miss, but it was a beautiful summit and view. Fellow hikers and thru hikers were all very friendly too.

Very beautiful place to go for a weekend hiking trip. Some of the most beautiful views around.

This is a beautiful wild area in WNC. Many nice trails , waterfalls and stunning views.

Amazing place to camp!! Just get the gear right coz there is freezing cold with winds

This is a great place to hike with some incredible views.

Breathtaking, not just because it's a long hike.

Love this place, but so do ALL the other people.

So many memories here. Decades and decades. I'll never get tired of returning here.

Always beautiful