Hike · Linville Gorge trailhead

Linville Gorge

Distance

10.6 mi

Vertical

830 ft

Summit

3,304 ft

Difficulty

Strenuous

The Linville Gorge Wilderness — long known as the Grand Canyon of North Carolina — protects a 1,400-foot-deep cleft carved by the Linville River through the Blue Ridge of the Pisgah National Forest. The Cherokee called the river Ee-see-oh, river of many cliffs, and the name…

Read the full route guide in Strata →

Hawksbill Mountain catches early light above the autumn forest along the rim of the Linville Gorge. — Ken Thomas · Public domain

Sunset slips down the gorge under cumulus stack, the river hidden in the cleft a thousand feet below the rim. — Jdshepard · CC BY 3.0

The Linville River runs clear over its rocky bed at the bottom of the gorge, hardwoods drawing close to the bank. — Tsimmons · CC BY-SA 3.0

A summer view down the long V of the gorge from the eastern rim, dense hardwood pouring into the cleft of the Linville River. — Diogeninja · CC0

Plan Linville Gorge with Strata

Get today's avalanche, slope, aspect, and weather verdict for this route — plus offline maps and live crew tracking. Free on iPhone & iPad.

Get it on the App Store