Hike the Looking Glass Rock Trail

This hike will take us up the Looking Glass Rock Trail to two nice viewpoints and then returns the same way. This is a great hike if you are looking for something of moderate length and ascent, that still gets your heart going and has terrific views. There is no "down" on this hike until you reach the summit, and the steeper part is filled with switchbacks beginning under a mile into it. The trail is popular and well-worn and mostly smooth until about 2 1/2 miles, when the exposed roots get larger and more tangled, and the washed-out gullies become more prominent. The first, west-facing, viewpoint is also the location of a helicopter pad for emergency extractions. The view site is located a short distance from the pad, and is a large rock ledge. Continuing on to the summit there are no views, but a short downhill hike from there takes you to an even larger pluton with dramatic views. Distance is 6.37 miles, 1700 ft of ascent. We will meet at the Pisgah Walmart to reduce the number of cars because the parking area gets crowded.
CMC Meetup is sponsored by the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC). You do not have to be a member of CMC to hike with me, but if you are not a member you should think about joining. It’s a terrific all volunteer organization that not only sponsors lots of hikes but engages in a significant amount of trail maintenance throughout Western North Carolina. Just follow the prompts from this link https://carolinamtnclub.org/enrollments/ or explore our webpage at [https://www.carolinamountainclub.org/ ](https://www.carolinamountainclub.org/)
Plans change - I get it. If you sign up for the hike and then find that your plans have changed, please take the time to remove yourself from the hike so that we don’t unnecessarily wait for you at the meeting place.