If you have been through all the local hikes and are looking for something new and exciting, look no further.

This is an outing you will not soon forget. It takes a little effort to get there, but the reward is easily worth it. The top of Black Balsam Knob and Tenant Mountain may be among the most spectacular spots in all the southern Appalachians. It takes about an hour to get to the trail head, but the drive is so beautiful, it seems like half the time.

Named for the mountain from which Moses first viewed the Promised Land, Shining Rock became one of the original components of the National Wilderness Preser­vation System in 1964, a few months after garnering desig­nation as a Wild Area. It is now the largest wilderness in North Carolina, separated by only a road from Middle Prong Wilderness to the south­west. Standing at an elevation of more than 5,000 feet and boasting five peaks exceeding 6,000 feet (three within the Wilderness boundaries), Shining Rock Ledge forms the backbone of this area.

Here in this series of high ridges on the north slopes of Pisgah Ridge, you'll find extremely steep and rugged terrain ranging in elevation from 3,200 feet on the banks of the West Fork of Pigeon River, a major tributary of the Tennessee River, to 6,030 feet on Cold Mountain. Streams cut narrow passages through the mountains on their way to either the East or West Forks of the Pigeon River. Loggers cut down the forest between 1906 and 1926 and fires raged through the area in 1925 and 1942. These factors account for Shining Rock's grassy "balds" and unique vegetation.

Almost all the trails in the area rate as difficult, and they can be hard to follow. Nevertheless, this wilderness is one of the most trampled in the state. No campfires are permitted, and group size is limited to 10.

Directions: Proceed east on Hwy. 64 out of Cashiers, about 20 miles, to Hwy. 215. Turn left and proceed about 20 more miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Turn north on the Parkway and proceed about three or four miles through a tunnel, then turn left on the first paved road (half a mile). The sign will say "To Sam's Knob." Go up the road about a mile to the top of the hill, and park at the top. After parking, proceed east up the Art Loeb Trail to the top of Black Balsam Knob. Within just a few minutes, you will emerge from the Balsam trees to the first part of perhaps 20,000 acres of natural bald top mountain.

The trail roams across the tops of Black Balsam and Tenant and through thousands of acres of Catawba Rhododendron and blueberry fields. In early June, the rhododendrons bloom with an explosion of purple and green.

In October, millions of blueberries are ripe for the picking. There are loop trails back to shorten the hike, but if you go all the way to Shining Rock, it is about an eight-mile moderate hike.

Obtain additional informa­tion from USGS topos or pick up Shining Rock Wilderness information at any hiking store.