Grassy Cove Top–Art Loeb Trail, 4 sights is a 9.3-mile out-and-back in Shining Rock Wilderness near Big East Fork, NC. The route reaches Grassy Cove Top at the turnaround, 4.7 miles in. It climbs 1,300 ft, with sections as steep as 31% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 55/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi5,033 – 6,034 ft · steepest grade: 31%9.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Graveyard Fields Loop Trail 35.32040, -82.84694
Nearest town Big East Fork, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Grassy Cove Top–Art Loeb Trail, 4 sights
9.3 mi · ▲ 1,300 ft · 3 hr 45 min
Elevation 5,033–6,035 ft
Out & Back · Shining Rock Wilderness
Trailhead: Graveyard Fields Loop Trail · 35.32040, -82.84694
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 74°F / low 62° · precip 19% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 7:07 AM · sunset 7:56 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Graveyard Ridge Trail, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NE.
- 1.3 miContinue straight onto Graveyard Ridge Trail, heading W.
- 1.9 miSharp right onto Art Loeb Trail, heading W.
- 100 ftSharp left, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Grassy Cove Top, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 50 ftReach Grassy Cove Top, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 0.2 miSharp right onto Art Loeb Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Graveyard Ridge Trail, heading W.
- 1.9 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SW.
- 1.3 miBear right, heading SE.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Graveyard Ridge Trail, heading E.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Graveyard Fields Loop Trail, heading W.
- 0.6 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
68% dirt32% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 74°F62°
Precip19%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity76%
Rained 0.1″ 5 days ago (0.2″ over the last week)
Hourly temperatureRain chance
75°60°
Sunrise 7:07 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:56 PM
Sat
78°65°
Sun
75°58°
59%
Mon
63°57°
38%
Tue
69°52°
Wed
76°53°
Thu
80°56°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.4 mi in (~130 min). Leave by 5:26 PM for the 7:56 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:04 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Graveyard Fields Loop Trail Trailhead
- Upper Falls–Graveyard Fields Loop Trail, 3 sights 2.8 mi · ▲ 295 ft
- Second Falls via Mountains-to-Sea Trail 3.7 mi · ▲ 536 ft
- Art Loeb Spur Trail–Art Loeb Trail, 5 sights 9.9 mi · ▲ 1,945 ft
- Second Falls–Bridges Camp Gap Trail, 5 sights 10.8 mi · ▲ 2,045 ft
- Black Balsam Knob–Art Loeb Trail, 6 sights 12.2 mi · ▲ 1,568 ft
- Devils Courthouse–Silvermine Bald, 5 summits 12.8 mi · ▲ 2,041 ft
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Hikes near Big East Fork, North Carolina