Linville Falls

The Linville River drops in an upper cascade and then a final drop of about fourteen metres into a basin, then enters the gorge below, where the river runs about 430 metres beneath the ridge - it is called the Grand Canyon of North Carolina. John D. Rockefeller Jr provided about a hundred thousand dollars to buy some 1,100 acres around the falls and part of the gorge, and the falls were given to the Park Service in 1952. Four viewpoints run from the visitor centre on trails of varying length, each giving a different angle. The gorge itself is designated wilderness, and its trails are not the cleared, well-marked paths of a park.

The landscape

• A final drop of about fourteen metres - into a rock basin.
• The head of Linville Gorge - the river about 430 metres below the ridge.
• Four separate viewpoints - on trails from the visitor centre.
• A Rockefeller gift - given to the Park Service in 1952.

When to go

April to October; colour in October. Half a day.

Things to know

Parking at the visitor centre fills by mid-morning on autumn weekends. Trails to the further overlooks involve climbing. The gorge below is genuinely dangerous - unmaintained trails and frequent rescues. Swimming near the falls is dangerous.

Nearby

Grandfather Mountain is north; the Parkway runs both ways.

Key facts