Linville
Falls
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Linville Falls is located on the Blue Ridge
Parkway. Trails lead to views of both the upper and lower falls. Forests
offer virgin hemlock mixed with other familiar trees such as white
pine, oaks, hickory, and birch. A colorful and varied display of wildflowers
decorates the trails in the spring. Red and golden leaves in fall
beautifully contrast with the soothing green of hemlocks.
Hiking Trails
From the Blue Ridge Parkway, two main hiking trails lead to beautiful
views of the Linville Falls. Both begin at the Linville Falls Visitor
Center, which is operated by the National Park Service. The trails
range in difficulty from moderate to strenuous.
There are short, easy to moderate trails to view the viaduct and falls,
as well as access points to the longer, more strenuous Tanawha
and Mountains to Sea Trails. There are three short
"leg-stretcher" trails in the area, the Beacon Heights
(milepost 305.2), Camp Creek (milepost 315.6), and
River Bend Overlook Trails (milepost 316.4). The
Flat Rock Trail (milepost 308.3) is a moderate self-guiding
trail that explores the flora and fauna of the area. Also located
at Linville Falls is the easy Duggers Creek and Linville
River Bridge Trails.
Erwins View Trail,
a moderate walk of 1.6 miles round trip, offers hikers four overlooks,
each revealing a different aspect of the Linville Falls area. The
first overlook is 0.5 mile from the visitor center, and is a moderate
walk with a slight loss of elevation. Here, the Linville River spills
gently over the upper falls where it widens and pauses. Drifting into
a narrow canyon, the water suddenly spirals out of sight and plunges
45 feet over the lower falls. The next overlook, Chimney View,
0.7 mile from the visitor center, is the first point on the trail
where the lower falls can be seen. It offers an excellent chance to
photograph both the upper and lower falls. The overlook is named for
the chimney-like outcroppings located to the right of the waterfall.
The trail is strenuous in this area with considerable elevation gain.
At Gorge View Overlook, hikers can see the Linville River cutting
its way through the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area. The Erwins View
Trail ends at Erwins View Overlook, 0.8 mile from the visitor center.
From this vantage point, hikers can enjoy a panoramic view of the
Linville Gorge and a distant view of the upper and lower falls.
The trails to Linville
Gorge Trail (1.4 miles round trip) , and to Plunge
Basin (1 mile round trip) also start at the visitor center
and are both strenuous. The trail to Linville Gorge forks 0.2 mile from
the visitor center. The right fork takes hikers to Plunge Basin Overlook
where they can view the lower falls and the Chimneys. The left fork
winds down through rock cliffs to the bottom of the falls where the
force of the water cascading over the falls creates a large pool. Swimming
and climbing on the rocks are prohibited.
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History |
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Fall size:
Beauty Scale:
(1-worth seeing-10 awesome)
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Directions: |
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the falls are located at Mile
Post 316.3 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, north of where US 221 crosses
the Parkway and south of where NC 181 crosses the Parkway.
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Linville
Falls Community |
Access to the Falls can also be obtained from
the Kistler Memorial Highway, 105. At the Linville Falls Community,
take NC 183 for 1/2 a mile. Turn right on NC 105. Go 1/10 of a mile
to the parking lot on the left. The Linville Falls trail is .5 miles
long and connects to the Park Service trail system.
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Facilities:
Linville Falls Campground:
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picnic tables, restrooms, Campground located
nearby.
The campground has sites for 50 tents and 20
trailers. Facilities include water, flush toilets with sink but no
showers or hook-ups.
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Other
Lodging: |
Several motels, bed-and-breakfast inns,
and campgrounds are located in nearby Linville (exit at milepost 305),
Pineola (exit at milepost 312.2), and Linville Falls (exit at milepost
317.5).
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Visitor
Center: |
Note: The vistor's center was damaged by storms
in fall of 2004. It palns to reopen in the summer of 2005
There is a visitor contact station in the Linville
Falls area via an access road at milepost 316.4. Trail maps, publications
and area information are available here. The Visitor Center offers
a quaint Blue Ridge Parkway store with gifts, accessories, and information
concerning Linville Falls and The Blue Ridge Parkway. Located within
the Visitor Center are restrooms and water fountains for a quick stop
before or after the hike. Also found within the Linville Falls Visitor
Center is a sizeable map on one of the inside walls. The map details
each of the trails in the area: their locations, lengths, destinations,
and difficulty.
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Fees: |
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Closest
town: |
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For
more information: |
Brevard/Transylvania
Chamber of Commerce
35 West Main Street
Brevard, NC 28712
828-883-3700
800-648-4523
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