Hard Times/Owl Ridge Loop
Posted By auntie on October 23, 2020
7.7 miles; 524 feet ascent; Asheville, NC
A variation on the Hard Times/Arboretum Loop which I thought would be shorter but, no, nope, not shorter at all. Longer. Okay. Also, at about the 4.9 mile mark, it started to rain, and I mean RAIN. I got very wet. Although I must say I loved the Owl Ridge Trail…really pretty!
Owl Ridge Trail Junction
This trail is on Arboretum property, not far past the gate.
See What I Mean? Pretty!
This was the last dry stretch for me today. Not much past here the sky opened up and it started pouring. I dug out my trusty little umbrella, but after a while I still got pretty wet from splashing and dripping. I didn’t take any photos past here, either, so this is a short post.
You can find out more about the North Carolina Arboretum from their website (includes a “Trails” link from which you can download a pdf trail map). You can find a link to another trail map at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest website which includes the Hard Times Road Trail. As always, click the image above for details about this hike and to download the gps track.
UPDATE: Not 24 hours after I posted this, my local newspaper highlighted the Owl Ridge Trail as one of the best 5 hikes in Western North Carolina (where you might find someplace to park)!
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