Explore the gorge s beauty on our favorite hiking and backpacking trails, climbing to sundrenched summits and exploring the waterfallfilled river deep within its depths. Oct 20, 2016 today, it encloses the river for 12 miles. Blake runs friends of the linville gorge flog, a group so informal that he says everyone on earth is a member. Sep 02, 2014 since linville gorge nc is a true wilderness, with no bathrooms or shelters of any kind, those north carolina hiking should exercise caution and good judgment. Approach via the main descent gully, route will be on your right side as you are descending. Linville falls, with four drops over a total of 150. Day hikers and overnight backpackers alike need serious preparation for a trip into linville gorge. The gorge area overview the linville gorge is a 12,000 acre component of the usfs wilderness system. While most of the trails on the west side of linville gorge drop deep into the canyon and eventually end up near linville river, the east rim of the gorge features spectacular trails that lead to cliffs and mountain summits. Forestry service to maintain trails in the gorge as volunteers, so blake is there on an almost daily basis.
Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. The linville gorge wilderness is the third largest wilderness area in north carolina and one of. I am planning on hiking the 22 mile loop of linville gorge in march. Passes through an area that has been burned by wildfires repeatedly in the last 20 years, notably. Consisting of 12,002 acres, the linville gorge wilderness area is the third largest in north carolina and one of two in the southeastern united states.
Primitive camping in linville gorge, north carolina getaway usa. Recreation opportunities include hiking,backpacking, rock climbing, fishing, and hunting. Hiking trails in the gorge generally start along either of the two gravel forest service roads that traverse the east and west rims. Book seeks to elicit wonder of linville gorge mountain xpress. Ryan, another friend named andy and i put our boots on the trail one crisp spring morning with plans to spend three days hiking and fishing and two nights being. Hiking trails follow much of the linville river, connecting with higherelevation trails that pass numerous scenic overlooks and rock formations.
A remote wilderness with an uncommon beauty, linville gorge is a must see if you are hiking in north carolina. And extend the adventure with an overnight under the stars on the east rims primitive backcountry campsites. This hike offers five different perspectives of the waterfalls in two short sections. Since linville gorge nc is a true wilderness, with no bathrooms or shelters of any kind, those north carolina hiking should exercise caution and good judgment. Some of the most popular hikes include hawksbill mountain trail, linville gorge wilderness hike, linville falls erwins view trail and plunge basin trail, table rock. It is one of only two wilderness gorge areas located in the southern united states and is named in honor of john and william linville, explorers who were killed by the shawnee in the gorge in 1766. Its extremely important for all hikers to carry a detailed trail map of the area. The gorge is formed by the jonas ridge on the east and linville mountain on the west and is bisected by the linville river which drops 2,000 feet into the valleys below. The erwins view trail ends at erwins view overlook, 0. Connects the wolfpit road parking area at the edge of linville gorge wilderness to the mountains to sea trail about 23 of the way up shortoff mountain. A great way to experience the rugged linville gorge is to hike among the chimneys, dramatic rock formations along the canyon rim.
Linville gorge is one of eastern americas most scenic and rugged gorges, created by the scouring action of the linville river. The linville river runs through the so called grand canyon of the east which isnt lacking in amazing views, strenuous hiking and daring river crossings. Linville gorge often called the grand canyon of the southeast is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the blue ridge mountains of western north carolina. If you are coming from the north take a right on the second ginger cake rd.
With so much land, there are plenty of scenic hikes to make the most of north carolinas own grand canyon. Linville gorge wilderness area forest service usda. From nc181 turn south on ginger cake rd, the road is a loop. Gary walker suspects that there are 1,000yearold trees growing on the cliff faces of the linville gorge wilderness area. There are 39 miles of trails that weave in and out of linville gorge. The linville gorge trail follows the linville river its entire length at.
Babel tower linville gorge wilderness, pisgah national. Linville gorge is a rugged wilderness area in pisgah national forest. Linville falls, pictured above, is the most photographed falls in nc located in the linville gorge. Linville gorge linville falls 2020 all you need to know. Linville gorge wilderness loop hiking trail, glen alpine, north. Linville gorge wilderness encompasses the wild backcountry on either side of the linville river, which carved the gorge over millions of years. A linville gorge history natural history blake, christopher on. Widely accepted as the toughest hiking circuit east of the rocky mountains, this grand titan extends for 33. Linville gorge adventures llc creates innovative guidebooks for linville gorge and surrounding areas.
Averaging 1,400 ft deep, the linville gorge was carved by the linville river on its way down the blue ridge escarpment from the high country. One of the deepest gorges in the east, it also represents a great opportunity for outdoor recreation, boasting many miles of trails. From this vantage point hikers can enjoy a panoramic view of the linville gorge and a distant view of the upper and lower falls. Linville gorge hiking trail info for the linville gorge. Tourism brochures exclaiming about hiking trails and trout fishing may. Rock climb the prow, linville gorge mountain project. Best trails in linville gorge wilderness north carolina alltrails. Looking for a great trail in linville gorge wilderness, north carolina. Babel tower is a popular destination in the linville gorge wilderness and is one of the most heavily used official trails on the western side of the gorge. For sources generally further than 50 km from a class i area, the visibility threshold for concern is not exceeded if the 98th %ile change in light extinction is. Another important preparation for hiking the linville gorge wilderness is, like with any backpacking trip, to consider your water sources.
The gorge offers 39 miles of hiking with elevations of 2,000 to 4,000 feet. Primitive camping in linville gorge, north carolina. Southern region region 8 national forests in north carolina. The rivers swift waters descend over 2,000 feet before breaking into the open levels of the catawba valley, elevation averages 3,400 feet along the rim of the gorge and 2,000 feet on linville river. The spence ridge trail bridge at the linville river is currently washed out.
Belay and climb the first easy pitch for 50m or so. Hawksbill mountain and sitting bear mountain linville. Hiking trails follow much of the linville river, connecting with higherelevation trails that. Best trails in linville gorge wilderness north carolina. If you are a not an avid backpacker, the loop should be extended to a 4 day trip for maximum enjoyment. Look for a large wet chimney and water streaks, route is just to the right. Linville gorge loop closed north carolina alltrails. Raleigh 219 miles 3 hours and 37 min charlotte 103 miles 1 hour and 59 min asheville 66 miles 1 hour and 23 min trail access. From kistler memorial highwayold nc 105, the trail descends through hardwoods and rhododendrons, descending 900 feet in 1. Linville gorge was carved by the linville river, which descends more than 2,000 vertical feet from grandfather mountain to the catawba river valley. The right fork takes hikers to plunge basin overlook where they can view the lower falls and the chimneys.
With so much land, there are plenty of scenic hikes to make. Traverse out onto the main corner after passing below the start of open book. Linville gorge linville falls 2020 all you need to. Surrounded by dense forest and exposed granite, the falls is one of the most visited destinations in north carolina. Soaring from the rim of a deepcut gorge northeast of asheville, nc, table rock mountain is a plateaued peak with a rocky, windswept summit that offers 360degree panoramas of the surrounding sublime landscape of linville gorge. Walker, a retired biology professor at appalachian state university, has been at the forefront of establishing cliff ecology as an academic discipline since he. The terrain is steep and rugged with numerous rock formations. At just under two miles, roundtrip, the hike to the summit isnt a long one, or even an overly difficult one. Legend has it that the cherokee would cast their enemies over the falls, sending them to their death. Many maps available on this site are of historical value and are actually interesting because of their errors.
Im from ohio and there are not a ton of places with nice views, so i wanted to go someplace that would change all that. There are no entry fees to enter or camp in the gorge. Tips for exploring the linville gorge hiking circuit blue ridge. You can purchase topo and other maps from the grandfather district office. When preparing your hike make sure to note that one mile in the linville gorge does not equal a mile on other well defined trails and you should expect each mile to last a little. Rickys place was great, and we would definitely recommend it and would come back in a heartbeat. The trail is a roller coaster, taking you over some chimneys and around others for spectacular views.
They have an excellent map at the visitor center that shows you each of the different trails, their difficulty level, and pictures of the view of the waterfall s you can see on each trail. Description the pinchin is a trail that leads from the pinchin parking area off of memorial highway state road 1238 to the linville gorge trail, which is part of the linville gorge wilderness loop. The gorge is the deepest on the east coast at 1,400 feet, and boasts many rugged, scenic trails in the third largest wilderness in north carolina. Search wilderness connect for practitioners search wilderness connect for practitioners. Zach robbins contact zach while most of the trails on the west side of linville gorge drop deep into the canyon and eventually end up near linville river, the east rim of the gorge features spectacular trails that lead to cliffs and mountain summits. The steep walls of the gorge enclose the linville river for 12 miles. The linville gorge wilderness the grand canyon of north carolina is the third largest wilderness area in north carolina after shining rock wilderness and joycekilmer slickrock wilderness and one of only two wilderness gorges in the southern united states along with bald river gorge wilderness in tennessee.
Trails in the gorge are rugged bring your hiking poles if you use them. The linville gorge wilderness, in the mountains of western north carolina, is part of the pisgah national forest. Linville gorge hiking and trail data, gps data published. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from march until october.
Home psd limits map, list linville gorge wilderness. Camping is permitted in the gorge, but permits are required from may 1 through october 31. Linville gorge, mount mitchell pisgah national forest national. I had heard about this wild place called the lower north carolina wall, and how it led to the rock formation known as the sphinx which keeps watch over the gorge from its perch below the cliffs. The linville river drops almost 2000 feet as it cuts a gorge miles long in dropping from the appalachian mountains to the piedmont region of north carolina. October 2012 was my first trip to the sphinx in linville gorge. It was developed over many years by ken crump and the dedicated gorge rats of new in 2019, the project has expanded to include nearby wilson creeek and the harper creek and lost cove wilderness study areas. Linville gorge north carolina nc mountain cabins linville. This website is intended to gather and share information on linville gorge hiking and backpacking. Linville gorge wilderness in the appalachian mountains. The linville gorge wilderness, in the western north carolina mountains, is.
Maps of the trail system are available through united states forest service offices and information facilities in the area, but its important to remember that due to the wilderness area designation, trails in the gorge are not the improved, wellmarked, cleared and. Many hikers opt to camp along the rims and day hike in. A physical map of the area can be found at the grandfather ranger district station. The 39 miles of north carolina hiking trails in linville gorge nc range in difficulty from moderate to strenuous, and are ideal for more experienced hikers, though certain trails are. Maintained by the united states forest service, it comprises 11,786 acres 47. It is covered by a dense hardwoodpine forest and a wide variety of smaller trees and other plants. Rack up and stash packs before hiking into the gully. Our forums contain boards for discussion of all aspects of linville gorge, along with a special section on trails which is a front end for our trail database. Excellent hiking trails lead to superb views of linville falls. The map is free and is the default unofficial trail map for the linville gorge community. The northeast section of the linville gorge features a great variety of trails originating from jonas ridge that can be combined to create a viewpacked hike that isnt. Some of the most rugged terrain in the east can be found in linnville gorge.
The linville gorge loop is a serious undertaking for a 3 day backpacking trip. Sometimes it is referred to as the grand canyon of eastern usa. Jul 21, 2016 the linville gorge loop is a serious undertaking for a 3 day backpacking trip. Alltrails has 46 great hiking trails, running trails, forest trails and more. In my opinion, no one should step foot into the linville gorge wilderness without, at the least, a compass and topographic map. Explore the gorges beauty on our favorite hiking and backpacking trails, climbing to sundrenched summits and exploring the waterfallfilled river deep within its depths. Of the modern hiking maps available, the three that seem to give the least trouble are welcome to linville gorge 2016, usfs linville gorge wilderness 2014, and the trail map 2016. Linville gorge wilderness loop hiking trail, glen alpine. Due to the nature of the terrain, hiking in the linville gorge can be a strenuous and challenging activity. The linville gorge hiking circuit is a conglomerate of twenty one individual trails that when linked circles the entire linville gorge wilderness in loop form. At just under two miles, roundtrip, the hike to the summit isnt a long one, or even an. How to hike the linville gorge travel tips usa today. Great spot to choose in the linvillenewland area after a day hiking the trails. Most people only visit linville falls at the north entrance of the gorge, some make it up the paved road to table rock mountain or the rough gravel road to wisemans view.
There are quite a number of car camping spots along both rims of the gorge. Linville gorge hiking trail info for the linville gorge wilderness. Linville gorge trails hiking info for linville gorge wilderness area. The site contains collections of gps waypoints and gpx files, maps and some photos. Hike our favorite trails in the linville gorge wilderness near asheville, catching stunning. Linville gorge hiking circuit the toughest hiking circuit. Linville gorge was first designated a wild area in 1951 by the chief of the forest service. Linville gorge 22 mile loop i am planning on hiking the 22 mile loop of linville gorge in march. National forests in north carolina linville gorge wilderness area.
This area, which offers hiking, camping, birdwatching and wildlife, was named for william linville who was killed here by indians in the 1700s. Linville gorge loop 22 miles western north carolina the linville gorge wilderness is located in part of the pisgah national forest in western north carolina. Linville gorge wilderness, pisgah national forest, nc distance from hubs. He also published a book of photographs called linville gorge wilderness area. Due to the nature of the terrain, hiking in the linville gorge can be a strenuous and. Pinchin trail hiking trail, spruce pine, north carolina. Linville gorge, carved by the linville river forming jonas ridge on the east and wisemans view on the western rim, is one of the most spectacular sites in north carolina. Linville gorge wilderness area 2020 all you need to know. Most people only visit linville falls at the north entrance of the gorge, some make it up the paved road to table rock mountain or the rough gravel road to. Most people only visit linville falls at the north entrance of the gorge, some make it up the paved road to table rock mountain or the.