Linville Falls

About this place

Linville Falls is a waterfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, about 68 km in a straight line north-east of Asheville, near the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. It is named after the Linville River, which flows over it, and has the highest volume of any waterfall on the northern edge of the Blue Ridge. The falls drop in several distinct steps, starting with a twin set of upper falls, then running through a small gorge and ending in a high-volume 14 m plunge. The upper part of the main drop was once as tall as the lower part, but floods caused it to collapse onto the lower falls, making the lower plunge much longer. The falls mark the start of Linville Gorge, the deep canyon the river carves on its way to Lake James. White water pours between towering grey rock walls into a dark green pool at the bottom of the gorge, surrounded by dense hemlock and rhododendron forest. Several overlooks on both sides of the gorge, such as Erwin's View and Chimney View, show the falls and canyon from different angles, and in autumn the forests turn red and orange. Visiting is free, and the trails start at the Linville Falls Visitor Center on the Parkway. The trails are short to moderate, and the rocks near the water are very dangerous, so do not swim or go beyond the railings.