Winter is a great time for day hiking: no bugs, few people and the opportunity to travel through the woods when it is very still and quiet. These hikes as well as many others can be seen on the National Geographic Pisgah Ranger District Map.

Coontree Loop offers several opportunities. Approx two miles west of Pisgah District Ranger Station there is a parking area on South side of highway. This is Coontree Picnic Area. Park here and cross higway. Coontree Loop is rated medium difficulty and offers a hike of 3.7 miles if one chooses to do the entire loop. While well-used in Summer, it can offer a place for a quiet stroll in Winter, especially if you go during the week.

If you're in the mood for a hike in the 14-15 mile range you can do that too. One option is to go "left" on the Coontree Loop and climb approx 2 miles to Bennet Gap Trail. Follow Bennet Gap trail Northwest as it mainly follows the ridge line and then turns North over Buckwheat Knob to Club Gap. Ridge walking offers opportunities for views on a clear winter day, especially looking Southeast towards Looking Glass Rock. At Club Gap, turn Northeast on the Black Mountain Trail and follow it as it climbs past the Buckhorn Gap Shelter. This is about the half-way point for the 14-15 mile loop. After leaving Buckhorn Gap the trail turns Southeast and climbs over Clawhammer and Black Mountain. In some places this trail is steep and rocky and once again, a clear Winter day can offer great views of the surrounding area. Follow the trail South to Pressley Gap where it crosses Forest Service Road 5022. Right on the road (Northwest) for a short distance and cross the road and start descending South on Pressley Cove Trail until it crosses gravel road coming in from White Pines Campground. Cross the road and climb West on Bennet Gap Trail to Coontree Gap. Here you descend on Coontree Loop Trail (this is the "right" fork of the Coontree Loop, you started out this hike taking the "left" fork, remember?). You end up back at the Coontree Picnic Area where you started.

I last did this longer loop in July when it was warm and buggy. Of course one treat that time of year was seeing a huge Rhododendron Grandiflora in full bloom--it looked like a giant round Magnolia Tree. I'm looking forward to repeating this walk before things start to leaf out. Mid March would be good. On trails in Pisgah, I'd allow for a mile an hour on the hard sections and two miles an hour on the easier parts. Make sure you take a map. When one gets lost in Pisgah, it's generally not because there was "no trail," but because they encountered "too many trails."

Happy Trails!

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