Category: Top Rated

Shining Rock wilderness is our guide's favorite day hike. Offering multiple summits over 6,000’ with panoramic views and a quartzite capped summit that can be seen for miles. Shining Rock Summit is the best day hike in Western North Carolina. We will start out our morning with a rendezvous in Asheville or at the trailhead; whatever is more convenient based on your location. We start our hike with a short ascent to Black Balsam Mountain at 6,214’ in elevation with 360° views. From there we will hike to Tennent Mountain at 6,065’ in elevation with mountain vistas ranging as far away as 60+ miles. Tennent Mountain also offers an interesting perspective on Black Balsam, Shining Rock Wilderness and Looking Glass rock. From Tennent Mountain it’s a short hike to our picnic location, Ivestor Gap. After lunch we will continue on to Shining Rock for exploration and a well deserved rest. This will take us to the most remote and scenic mountain top you may ever get to experience. Not to mention the geological rarity that is Shining Rock. We will spend ample time here relaxing, refueling and most importantly taking in the amazing scenery. Following up our break on Shining Rock we will be taking another trail back to the trailhead.

This experience is not for the faint hearted. We will start out our morning meeting up an hour before sunrise starts at the base of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Typically sunrise is around 6:30am eastern time, this time fluctuates depending on the time of year. Your guide will double check you have the required gear and that your head lamp is functioning. We keep spare lamps and batteries on us if you have a malfunction or need a headlamp let us know. Upon verifying all gear is in working order and everyone has their supplies we will start a short, 30 minute, drive up the parkway to the trailhead. We will hike a total of 1.5 miles round trip with the initial ascent only taking us 20 minutes or so. Your guide will verify everyone is in a safe location and proceed to make fresh coffee as you enjoy the sunrise of your life with your loved ones. Once the sun has risen and the colors have dissipated we will hike out and be able to enjoy the 360° views we missed on the way up the mountain in the dark.

Just like the title says, views and then brews. That's the agenda for this hike, in that order. We will start out the morning meeting locally in Asheville or at the trailhead on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a short 20-40 minute drive from town depending on the scenery of your choosing. This hike will take you to a fire tower, remote rocky crag with sweeping mountain views or a large cliff face with sweeping high mountain vistas. These hikes range in distance from 3-5 miles. Following the hike we will meet back in town at a local brewery and enjoy a cold brew on us.