Name: Looking Glass Rock Trail
Rating: 4.5

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Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Wildlife

Description

From the trailhead, you'll start out with an easy climb above Chestnut Creek. Big hardwood trees surround you through the broad switchbacks in an open valley. After a while, you start to quickly gain elevation with tighter switchbacks through more closed off rhododendron tunnels. Things begin to open up as you get higher, and eventually it feels like it levels off. Soon you to get hints of the precipices that are just out of sight until you summit. You are greeted by huge views of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the exposed granite dome of Looking Glass.

Contacts

Land Manager: USFS - Pisgah National Forest, Pisgah Ranger District

Shared By:

Russell Hobart

Full Details

Trail Ratings

4.5 from 54 votes

#1

in Davidson River

#38

Overall

4.5 from 54 votes

5 Star		57%
4 Star		39%
3 Star		4%
2 Star		0%
1 Star		0%

Trail Rankings

23 Views Last Month

4,185 Since Oct 27, 2016

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		26%
		19%
		56%
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Photos

View from the Looking Glass Rock summit.

Mar 10, 2016 near Brevard, NC

Views from the summit of Looking Glass Rock.

Oct 27, 2016 near Brevard, NC

Mar 5, 2018 near Brevard, NC

Nov 19, 2018 near Brevard, NC

2 Comments

Weather

Current Trail Conditions

Minor Issues 23 days ago

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Check-Ins

Apr 11, 2026

Wendall Horton

Nov 30, 2025

Marc Corona

Nov 7, 2024

Chris W

Sep 29, 2023

Jill Morrisey

Sep 6, 2023

Ashley Price

May 30, 2023

Andrew Larey

5.4mi — 2h 00m

Jan 5, 2023

Emma DeJarnette

Nov 24, 2022

Brittni Sapper

5.5 w Mirra on thanksgiving

Oct 27, 2022

Doug Geiger

Nice blue hike (not blue black), a bit too crowded

Oct 3, 2022

Derek Snyder

Margo's first long hike! 6.2mi — 4h 15m

Apr 7, 2022

Joss Reeves

A really nice hike through mature hardwoods and rhododendron tunnels that ends in a bald granite table overlook. I thought that the difficulty of t… 6.1mi — 2h 17m

Dec 17, 2021

Hannah Drummond

Oct 30, 2021

Andrew Larey

6.5mi — 5h 00m

Oct 9, 2021

Chris Lamela

Good steep climb with rhododendron that must be beautiful in spring. — 1h 30m

Jun 20, 2021

Suzette Gachez Brooks

Loved it! 5.8mi — 2h 19m

Apr 21, 2021

Jennifer Hubbel

Mar 21, 2021

Chilehead Craig

5.4mi — 2h 15m

Feb 12, 2021

Kataleeya Cashion

2.3mi — 2h 12m

Jan 6, 2021

Troy Warnken

after the switchbacks end the trail gets steeper and very sloppy 6.2mi — 3h 24m

Oct 31, 2020

Brian Condit

Muddy trail with lots of erosion due to high usage. The view was well worth the climb! Very popular and lots of people to share the trail with. 5.4mi — 3h 00m

Sep 6, 2020

Private User

Sep 3, 2020

Kendyl Condon

Very challenging hike for myself. Most amazing vista view I have seen. 6.5mi — 3h 30m

Jul 26, 2020

Chris Scott

2.7mi

Jul 16, 2020

Scott Sallade

Jul 5, 2020

Michael Sander

Jul 3, 2020

Ryan Auger

Jun 10, 2020

Jason McGee

Mar 9, 2020

Charlie Scharfen

Down and back for a 6 mile hike. A little steep and chunky going up half way through. Amazing views at the top. Strenuous due to stair step features 5.4mi

Feb 7, 2020

Tommy Diehl

12h 55m

Dec 22, 2019

Ngoc Pham

Nov 15, 2019

Travis L.

Sep 2, 2019

Anna Buchanan

Takes about an hour and a half to two hours to reach the top. Stunning views! — 1h 30m

Aug 31, 2019

C Ward

2.7mi — 3h 45m

Aug 10, 2019

Will Baldwin

Jul 28, 2019

Billy Watson

Worth the climb.

Jul 22, 2019

Zuzanna Wojcieszak

2.7mi — 1h 45m

Jun 23, 2019

Melinda Champion

temp was not hot just very humid. beautiful views

May 26, 2019

Brian Keith

Not hard, yet not easy. The elevation gain is deceiving. 5.9mi — 2h 52m

May 9, 2019

Megan Whitlow

Apr 27, 2019

Allen Hansen

Apr 15, 2019

Aaron Bevacqua

5.9mi — 3h 00m

Apr 12, 2019

Benjamin S

Mar 30, 2019

Andrea Mayne

Mar 27, 2019

TJ Wilson

5.6mi

Mar 16, 2019

David Herbst

Feb 16, 2019

Nandeesh Kadengodlu

Feb 16, 2019

SUMANTH R

good place for a trail run. very good trail and awesome view at the summit. 6mi

Jan 30, 2019

Niurka Alley

Did this on 12/11/18. Very steep downhill for my knees.

Jan 9, 2019

Niurka Alley

Dave and Keelo. T mid 40’s. Beautiful. My knees suffered going down.

Dec 30, 2018

Private User

Nov 11, 2018

Erika Hdez

8.5mi

Nov 9, 2018

Andy Yeh

good hike. trail got a bit sloppy as i neared the top. great home panoramic view to the left of the trail when you reach the top 2.7mi

Oct 19, 2018

Lee Yang

Sep 13, 2018

Eden Wadsworth

great trail and unbelievable view 5.4mi

Sep 9, 2018

Cayce H.

Though climb but the view was worth it 6mi

Aug 17, 2018

Rayne Britt

5.4mi

Jul 11, 2018

Chris Ferrone

Jul 7, 2018

Flynn Carney

Jul 7, 2018

Christine Charron

5.8mi

Jul 2, 2018

Bo Adams

Jun 3, 2018

Jonathan Dye

Driq

Mar 11, 2018

Megan Crayton

5.4mi

Feb 23, 2018

Jacob Hansen

Jan 24, 2018

Kenneth Preston Wood

Grueling uphill track that ends in one of the best views I have ever seen. Amazing and well worth the effort. It is however a little longer than 2.7mi 6.6mi

Jan 13, 2018

David Stroud

Oct 25, 2017

dee angel

Sep 10, 2017

mtndoc Bell

2016 Friendsgiving: Hike w Jeanie, Erin, and Kevin. 5.4mi

Sep 10, 2017

Kevin Weeks

2.7mi

Aug 26, 2017

J.B. Remmel

Moderate hike up with lots of switchbacks and an incredible view at the top. 2/3 of the "helicopter pad" bare rock to the left. Easy down.

Aug 19, 2017

Chandler Ray

Jul 16, 2017

Chris Danner

Jun 21, 2017

Missy Edwards

Majestic ♥️

Jun 3, 2017

Erick Roberts

Difficult for me 6mi

May 27, 2017

Christine Esswein

May 27, 2017

Scott Wilhelm

Apr 1, 2017

D Blbs

6.6mi

Apr 1, 2017

Anthony W

Muddy. Great view. 6.6mi

Mar 31, 2017

Kyle Doering

2.7mi

Mar 25, 2017

ashley Main

We did this as an out and back and got engaged!! The view and trail were spectacular. — 2h 30m

Mar 25, 2017

Andrena Mendez

6.6mi

Mar 21, 2017

Nicholas Sepaniak

Mar 5, 2017

Kylie Yuchimiuk

Mar 4, 2017

Mary Goforth

Feb 28, 2017

Tyler Roach

Feb 17, 2017

Cassie Dockery

Jan 29, 2017

Taylor Kendrick

Dec 30, 2016

Elizabeth Steveson

Dec 1, 2016

Mike Zeigler

Oct 15, 2016

Greg Tempel

Oct 27, 2012

Miranda Wenzel

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Looking Glass Rock Trail

“A powerful trail to the summit of Looking Glass. ”

2.7

4.3

Point to Point

3,917' 1,194 m

2,322' 708 m

1,595' 486 m

21' 6 m

11%

23%

Toolbox

Know This Trail?

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Wildlife

Description

Contacts

Shared By:

Trail Ratings

#1

#38

#1

#3

#38

Photos

2 Comments

Comment Type:

Weather

Current Trail Conditions

Check-Ins

Nearby Recommended Routes

Twin Falls Out-and-Back

Art Loeb & North Slope Loop

Lickstone Gap Road

DuPont State Forest Triple Falls Loop

All of the Cold Mountain GM goodness

High Line Loop

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