This is a great hike in the winter time when the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed to vehicle traffic. You can walk the Parkway, hike several different trails, and enjoy the overwhelming silence while surrounded by a winter wonderland.
Depending on conditions, you can hike, snowshoe, or cross country ski for approximately 1 mile North to reach the Devils Courthouse overlook and trailhead. The trail to the top is a short .25 mile steep hike up a mostly paved pathway. The view from the top varies depending on the weather, but it’s always worth checking out. I’ve also seen people sledding down the straighter paved portion of the trail. You can descend the trail back to the parkway and continue hiking North approximately 2 miles to Black Balsam Road, as I prefer to do, or continue up the Mountains to Sea Trail where it intersects near the top of Devils Courthouse trail and then on to the Art Loeb Trail to Black Balsam.
Latitude/Longitude 35.299415689208665, -82.91015253769825
Black Balsam Knob 35.328828723289064, -82.87442647577316
This trail is rated MODERATE. The difficulty really depends on the amount of snow and ice. The parkway section follows a gentle incline until you reach Black Balsam Road. The section along the Art Loeb and MST trail is mostly downhill.