Southeast Waterfall & Hiking Guide

Your Hiking Guide to Waterfalls and more in the Southeast US

  • Home
  • About
  • Ease of Trail
    • Roadside
    • Wheelchair Accessible
    • Easy
    • Moderate
    • Strenuous/Hard
  • Fall Location
    • Georgia
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Kentucky
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
  • Waterfall Trips
    • Day Trip
    • 3 to 5 Day Trip
  • Area Attractions
    • Bridges
  • Hiking
  • Blog
    • News
    • Photography
  • Terms to Know
Home

Linville Falls

Posted on February 2, 2024 Written by 1 Comment

Nearby Areas: Blue Ridge Parkway, Marion, Morganton   State: North Carolina   Ease of Trail: Easy, Moderate, Strenuous

Linville Falls 1Linville Falls is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile post 316.4. The total height of the falls is 150 feet with four drops. Linville Falls starts with a twin set of upper falls, moving into a small gorge, and ending in a high-volume, 45-foot drop. Linville Falls, formed by Linville River, marks the beginning of Linville Gorge. Linville River continues on after the falls ending near Lake James. Linville Falls 3

There are four different overlooks that you can hike to different views of Linville Falls. Unlike some falls where the different overviews provide a similar view, you will find that all the views are very different and are extremely beautiful. I recommend them all.

You will also notice that this waterfall is list as having, and Easy, Moderate, and Strenuous hiking trail. That is because there are different trails that you can take. When I was young, we’d sometimes go here, and my mother could only do the easy trail. However, I’d go with my father on the moderate trails. Since then, I’ve also taken the strenuous trails as they lead you to the base of the waterfall.

The Easy Trail

The 0.5-mile Upper Falls trail leads to the top of Linville Falls, where you can see the two small upper falls. This is an easy trail, which is wide and accessible to everyone.

The Moderate Trails

Erwin’s View Trail (1.6 mile round trip) goes to two overlooks, Erwin’s View, which is a 0.8 mile hike, and Chimney View, which is a 0.7 miles hike. These are a little steeper than the Upper Falls trail, and are considered to be a moderate trail. The trail is generally well maintained and free of most obstacles although it can be a bit steep in some sections, which is why it is listed as a moderate trail.

Harder Trails to Traverse

Linville Falls 4
Linville Falls Base of the Falls

The 0.5-mile Plunge Basin Trail leads to Plunge Basin Overlook, gives you a view of Linville Falls from the other side of the river. The Gorge Trail, which is a 0.7 mile hike, branches off from the Plunge Basin trail, taking you to an area near the base of the falls. These are moderate and strenuous trails respectively. Our 9 year old son was able to handle both without issue, except for some assistance climbing over a fallen tree.

When to Visit

Linville Falls is very popular, so during summer and fall it is best to visit on the weekdays to avoid the crowds. The Blue Ridge Parkway has a large parking log, but it can still overflow during the busy times of the season. We have noticed that fall, with the changing of the leaves is the busiest time, and for good reason. If you come from the Blue Ridge Parkway, there is a small range station and gift store. We like to take our family photo there, with the bridge and the changing leaves in the background.

Linville Falls 2
Linville Falls Upper Falls

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Directions

Coming from Marion: take I-40 west. Get off at the Hwy 221 exit in Marion and head north. Take 221 to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Go north on the Blue Ridge Parkway for about a mile and turn right into the Linville Falls parking area.

Nearby Areas: Blue Ridge Parkway, Marion, Morganton

State: North Carolina

Ease of Trail: Easy, Moderate, Strenuous

Comments

  1. Royce says

    April 17, 2017 at 11:27 PM

    Linville Falls is one of my wife and I’s favorite waterfall. It’s not far from us so we visit it frequently. I would highly recommend it.

    Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Recently Added Waterfalls

  • Logan Creek Falls (also known as Falls Of Logan Creek)
    State: Virginia
    Trail Ease: Easy
  • Meadow Branch Cascades
    Meadow Branch Cascades
    State: Tennessee
    Trail Ease: Roadside
  • Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls
    Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls
    State: Tennessee
    Trail Ease: Roadside
  • Twin Falls
    Cane Creek Twin Falls
    State: Tennessee
    Trail Ease: Easy, Roadside
  • Machine Falls
    Machine Falls
    State: Tennessee
    Trail Ease: Easy, Moderate

Recently Added Trips

  • The Sinks 2
    Smoky Mountain Roadside Waterfall Day Trip
  • Little Egypt Falls
    Wartburg Area Waterfall Day Trip
  • Rutledge Falls at the base
    Tullahoma Family Friendly Waterfall Day Trip
  • Lower Greeter Falls in the Spring
    South Central Tennessee 3-5 Day Trip
  • Full length of Pine Ridge Falls
    Erwin Area Waterfall Day Trip
  • Upper Falls Graveyard Fields
    Blue Ridge Parkway to Highlands Road Trip
  • City Lake Falls
    Southeast Tennessee: Cookeville to Tellico Plains 3-5 Day Waterfall Road Trip

Fall Trails by Difficulty

  • Easy (104 trails)
  • Moderate (42 trails)
  • Wheelchair Accessible (9 trails)
  • Roadside (40 trails)
  • Strenuous (9 trails)

Waterfalls by State

  • Georgia (5 trails)
  • South Carolina (9 trails)
  • North Carolina (47 trails)
  • Tennessee (71 trails)
  • Virginia (9 trails)
  • Kentucky (4 trails)

Copyright Info
Privacy Policy

Supporting the Site
Disclaimer & Info
About the Authors
Wesite developed by Waltdesign & Development.
%d