Like many hikes, the plan was somewhat open-ended, but had our eye on linking several trails to make a loop from the Black Balsam parking area at BRP milepost 420. Specifically, the Sam Knob Trail to the Flat Laurel Creek trail west out to the Blue Ridge Parkway, then a short road walk to connect with the Mountains To Sea Trail, on to the Art Loeb to make a loop back and end up at Black Balsam parking area. I was hiking with my now 14 year old son. We ended up deviating some, effectively making a smaller loop and not venturing as far west.
We parked at Black Balsam road parking area and took the Sam Knob trail which departs to the west. Its been years since I had been down this trail, and it was like a familiar memory to walk into that treeless field on the approach to Sam Knob. At the base, veering right leads up the Knob itself which is a good climb but a hike worth doing. Veering left takes you toward Little Sam and the Flat Laurel Creek trail, this is the path we took. We began dropping in elevation. Given all of the rain, it was muddy as we got close to creek crossings. When we arrived at Flat Laurel Creek, it was very muddy and washed out to the right / west, so we headed left and hiked toward Little Sam trail instead, crossing the creek a couple times. These were pretty easy to navigate even with a lot of recent rain, and if it were earlier in the day it would have been tempting to take a break in the water. We connected with the upper end of Little Sam trail promptly and then headed south.
I will say this; the Little Sam trail might be useful to make a loop (like we did) but I would not recommend hiking it for the sake of itself. It had the feel of a forest recovering from a fire decades ago, dense with brush and young trees, the trail itself rocky in places and overgrown everywhere else. Also, since it never really ascends along any ridge, there aren’t really any views other than a fleeting glimpse toward the Middle Prong Wilderness as you near the Mountains to Sea (MST) connection. Thankfully, it was easy to follow and only 1.2 miles total. We connected with the MST and headed west toward the Parkway and Devil’s Courthouse. Not knowing the Parkway actually travels below the trail here via a tunnel, we were quite perplexed for the GPS to show we should be at the road, and we could clearly hear cars but could not see road whatsoever. We climbed the steps up to Devils Courthouse with big open views looking thru Pisgah down toward Brevard, and we could finally see the parking area off the Parkway now behind us. It also gave us a better look at the storm coming with dark clouds to the west.
Backtracking back the way we came from Little Sam, we then took the MST east. While the MST does not go over the true summit of Chestnut Bald, it does skirt it enough for some fantastic views from some rock outcroppings alongside the trail, including Looking Glass Rock if looking to your left (east). Soon, we connected with the Art Loeb Trail at Silvermine Bald and by this time, the woods had taken on a different feel with rocks, brush, and small trees steadily replaced by mighty evergreen trees (likely Hemlock and Pine). The rain had mostly held back to drizzle, but the sound of thunder grew more distinct and close. We finished our hike just before dark as the Art Loeb crosses Black Balsam road around its midpoint, then a 1/2 mile road walk back to the parking lot at the end where the Sam Knob and Ivestor Gap trail both begin. With a storm an inevitability at this point, we headed back into Brevard rather than hammock camp under our tarps. On the winding drive down 276 from the Parkway, we were pelted with gravel sized hail, and the thunder and lighting never really passed until early morning, so all in all – not a bad decision, I think.
Thoughts on this hike: Sam Knob is a fun day hike and gives some views further west into Middle Prong Wilderness than the popular Black Balsam Knob does, but for the purpose of making a loop, it would have just added a lot of time and effort to our day so I am fine that we bypassed it altogether. I am convinced Little Sam trail is absolutely nothing remarkable. Devils Courthouse is a great spot and overlook, but is only a short hike up from the parking area so its really more accessible that way. What really shined for me from this trip was the wide open Sam Knob approach, and then eventually coming back via the MST and Art Loeb trail with views to be found from Chestnut Bald. In less than 7 miles total for the day, it felt like walking in 3 very different landscapes (high elevation fields with wildflowers, followed by creeks and dense woods, on to a stately high Balsam forest).
Out on the Trail . . . 
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