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Six-thousand-foot-tall Shining Rock is a gem in more ways than one: Its quartz-encrusted summit glows from miles away, literally outshining the surrounding peaks of green. See these white-flecked boulders up close on the Art Loeb Trail, which rolls through fragrant balsam firs, blueberry patches, and wildflower-speckled balds on the way to the summit.
Distance 9.9 miles (loop) Trailhead 35.320566, -82.876174 Drive time 0:55 from Asheville Season April to October Contact
Access 4.6
Solitude 4.8
Scenery 4.8
Scores are on a scale of 5