Cold Mountain–Grassy Cove Top, 7 sights is a 15.7-mile out-and-back in Shining Rock Wilderness near Big East Fork, NC. The route passes Grassy Cove Top before reaching Cold Mountain at the turnaround, 7.8 miles in. It climbs 3,829 ft, with sections as steep as 32% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 86/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,977 – 6,181 ft · steepest grade: 32%16.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Art Loeb & Black Balsam Knob Trailhead 35.32079, -82.87608
Nearest town Big East Fork, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Cold Mountain–Grassy Cove Top, 7 sights
15.7 mi · ▲ 3,829 ft · 7 hr 9 min
Elevation 4,977–6,183 ft
Out & Back · Shining Rock Wilderness
Trailhead: Art Loeb & Black Balsam Knob Trailhead · 35.32079, -82.87608
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 71°F / low 59° · precip 31% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 7:08 AM · sunset 7:55 PM
- Start on Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear right onto Art Loeb Trail, heading NW.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Art Loeb Spur Trail, heading NW.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Art Loeb Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Black Balsam Summit Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Art Loeb Trail, heading NE.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Black Balsam Summit Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Art Loeb Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Black Balsam Summit Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading N.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Ivestor Gap Trail, heading E.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Fork Mountain Trail, heading SE.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Ivestor Gap Trail, heading E.
- 450 ftContinue straight onto Art Loeb Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Ivestor Gap Trail, heading NE.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.2 miPass Grassy Cove Top.
- 150 ftBear left onto Grassy Cove Top, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Art Loeb Trail, heading NE.
- 3.9 miBear right onto Cold Mountain Trail, heading N.
- 1.4 miReach Cold Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.4 miBear left onto Art Loeb Trail, heading S.
- 3.9 miTurn right onto Grassy Cove Top, heading SW.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Ivestor Gap Trail, heading S.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Art Loeb Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Ivestor Gap Trail, heading W.
- 450 ftContinue straight onto Fork Mountain Trail, heading SW.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Ivestor Gap Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Black Balsam Summit Trail, heading W.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Art Loeb Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Black Balsam Summit Trail, heading NW.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Art Loeb Trail, heading SW.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Black Balsam Summit Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftBear left onto Art Loeb Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Art Loeb Spur Trail, heading S.
- 100 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Art Loeb Trail, heading SW.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
76% dirt24% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 71°F59°
Precip31%Wind8 mphUV7Humidity83%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
75°55°
Sunrise 7:08 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:55 PM
Sun
71°59°
37%
Mon
59°52°
51%
Tue
67°48°
25%
Wed
73°48°
Thu
70°52°
33%
Fri
66°54°
49%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.4 mi in (~9 min). Leave by 7:25 PM for the 7:55 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:26 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
More from Art Loeb & Black Balsam Knob Trailhead Trailhead
- Mountains-to-Sea Trail 2.8 mi · ▲ 821 ft
- Art Loeb Spur Trail–Art Loeb Trail, 3 sights 4.1 mi · ▲ 992 ft
- Devils Courthouse–Silvermine Bald, 3 summits 4.9 mi · ▲ 630 ft
- Black Balsam Knob–Black Balsam Summit Viewpoint Loop, 6 sights 5.6 mi · ▲ 1,018 ft
- Graveyard Fields Loop Trail & Graveyard Ridge Trail via Mountains-to-Sea Trail 7.8 mi · ▲ 1,417 ft
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