Devil’s Courthouse, Black Balsam & Sam Knobs - Pisgah National Forest

North Carolina

Mar 16

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different.” - C.S. Lewis

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” - Victor Hugo

The Story -

On Thursday morning, my sister Stacy and I hiked twelve miles on a combination of trails in the Pisgah National Forest between Asheville, NC, and Brevard, NC. Our moderate to strenuous loop hike to the Devil’s Courthouse, Black Balsam Knob, and Sam Knob had a little bit of everything - two peaks over six thousand feet, numerous awe-inspiring views, scenic balds, sheer cliffs, creek crossings, rock-hopping, and even several gorgeous waterfalls.

Pisgah National Forest -

The Pisgah National Forest is a land of mile-high peaks, cascading waterfalls, and heavily forested slopes. Comprised of over 500,000 acres, the Pisgah is primarily a hardwood forest with whitewater rivers, waterfalls, and hundreds of miles of hiking trails. And the area of the Pisgah National Forest located just southwest of Asheville and northwest of Brevard, tucked between the Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness Areas, is perhaps the most scenic of the whole Forest and maybe in all of North Carolina. The nearly mile-high plateau around the Flat Laurel Creek watershed offers views upon views from many prominent peaks, including the Devil’s Courthouse, Black Balsam Knob, and Sam Knob.

Devil’s Courthouse -

The Devil's Courthouse is 5,720 ft. at its peak and gets its name from a sinister bare rock profile located high up on a mountainside cliff. Its “devilish” appearance has contributed to several folk tales, including one legend that Lucifer himself holds court within a hidden cave in the mountain. And in Cherokee lore, this secret cave is the private dancing chamber and the dwelling place of the slant-eyed giant, Judaculla. Despite its nefarious name and aura, the Devil's Courthouse offers stunning panoramic views from its summit into four states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. It is also home to several rare and delicate high-altitude plants, including the Rock Gnome Lichen and the Spreading Avens, and a nest of Peregrine Falcons.

Black Balsam and Sam Knobs -

At 6,214 ft. and 6,045 ft. in elevation respectively, the Black Balsam and Sam Knobs are two of the forty mountains in North Carolina over 6,000 ft. And almost entirely devoid of trees at their apexes, these summits are more reminiscent of New England than North Carolina. The hikes to their summits are also rather legendary with their many panoramic views along the way offering truly big pay-offs, worthy of all the effort needed to get there.

Spill The Tea -

We parked at a small pullout off NC Highway 215, a scenic, yet harrowing and curvaceous road for everyone, but especially stressful for those unaccustomed to driving in the mountains. We crossed the highway and started our hike on the Mountain to Sea Trail (MST) heading east. After almost two undulating miles, which included creek crossings and several rock-scrambling opportunities, we turned onto the short Devil’s Courthouse Connector Trail which led us to the viewing platform, offering extraordinary panoramic views into three states. After some time admiring all the views and taking a few pictures, we left the Courthouse, continuing on the MST until a junction with the renowned Art Loeb Trail, passing the impressive sheer cliffs of Chestnut and Silvermine Balds along the way with amazing views of Looking Glass Rock and Pilot Mountain.

The Art Loeb Trail (ALT) is over thirty miles long and usually completed over the course of four days or in day-hike sections. We continued on Section 3 of the ALT, perhaps the most famous and popular section which crosses over the summit of Black Balsam Knob. The Trail initially dips through a dense grove of balsam fir trees and their needles litter the forest floor. Then after a short trek through the balsam grove, the trail exits into an idyllic, sun-drenched, rocky landscape as far as the eye can see. Views from the summit extend in every direction, stretching in 360-degree panoramas. Truly amazing.

Leaving Black Balsam Knob, we retraced our path down the mountain until we reached a junction with the Sam Knob Trail (SKT). The SKT initially took us through a grassy meadow and then over a long boardwalk before climbing through a thick forest full of fern, gnarly-branched mountain laurel, and lichen-covered birch. Once at the summit, we once again were greeted with rocky ledges offering incredible views from many different vantage points.

Add Some Cream and Sugar -

I expected the numerous spectacular views, picturesque balds, steep cliffs, and even a creek crossing or two. Yet I was pleasantly surprised by several incredible waterfalls along the last leg of our hike. Taking the Flat Laurel Creek Trail off the Sam Knob Trail, we passed two entralling waterfalls, Bubbling Spring Falls and the Wildcat Falls. The sixty-foot Wildcat Falls was especially compelling, perhaps due to being unexpected but most likely due to the large amount of rainfall in the area recently. In addition to the named Wildcat Falls and Bubbling Spring Falls, we passed numerous other cascades and rapids which only added to the overall magnificence of our day.

Wrap It Up -

We finished our twelve-mile hike with a short walk on NC Highway 215 back to our car to complete the loop. Our day was packed with a staggering amount of scenic beauty, traveling over many grassy meadows and steep overlooks with a very generous number of breathtaking views. Add in the waterfalls and it’s simply one of North Carolina’s best, most beautiful hikes.