The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountain Range and stretch for 550 miles, from Georgia to Maryland. They contain two national parks, miles of stunning vistas, amazing hikes, and gorgeous waterfalls. One such waterfall is Linville Falls in North Carolina.
Linville Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in the Blue Ridge Mountains because it is close to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This makes this impressive waterfall easy to access and provides a great stop for those traveling the parkway.
There are two primary drops to this waterfall. The final one plunges into a massive and impressive gorge on the Linville River. it is well worth the hike to see.
Hiking
There are two trails that hikers can take to reach Linville Falls. Both start at the Linville Falls Visitor Center.
Erwins View Trail
We took the Erwins View Trail. This trail is about 1.6 miles, round trip, and is the easiest trail. There are four overlooks that give different perspectives of the falls along the hike. The final overlook is at Erwins View Overlook where hikers can enjoy a panoramic view of the gorge, the upper falls, and the lower falls.
Linville Gorge Trail
The second option is Linville Gorge Trail. This trail is 1.4 miles, round trip, and goes down to the gorge. Hikers have to descend rocky cliffs to get to the bottom of the falls. There is a fork in this trail that leads to Plunge Basin, an additional 1 mile, round trip. The Plunge Basin gives hikers a unique perspective of the lower falls and the Chimneys.
Getting There
Linville Falls is located at milepost 316 on the Blue Ridge Park.
Be sure to check the NPS Blue Ridge Parkway website for road closures prior to visiting.