Linville Gorge and Falls- Best Waterfall in Western North Carolina

If you are planning to do some North Carolina trout fishing or see some of the other sites in the area, a side trip to Linville Gorge and falls should be on your schedule. A campground, RV Park, and picnic area with free parking are there for visitors who want to stay awhile.  

Among the spectacular gorge and falls of North Carolina, Linville Gorge and falls is the most popular because of its easy accessibility from the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mile Post 316. The water finally drops from forty-five feet into Linville Gorge and fall, which is often called "The Grand Canyon of the Southern Appalachians" and then continues until it reaches its ultimate destination at Lake James.   

The volume of Linville Gorge and Falls is the highest of any waterfall at the northern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Linville Gorge and falls is one of the most known waterfalls in North Carolina. Located on the Linville River at the very head of Linville Gorge, the falls cascade over a hundred feet via multiple tiers, crashing into a huge plunge pool lined by tall cliffs at the end of the final 45-foot level of the falls. 

Linville Gorge and falls is probably the most photographed of the waterfalls of Western North Carolina.  And its forest setting provides plenty of opportunities for taking great pictures, with its mix of virgin hemlock, white pine, oak, hickory and birch trees. In the spring, all of the trails come alive with a display of wildflowers, and of course, the spectacular changing of the leaves in the fall is a show unto itself. 

But Linville Gorge and Falls can be even more beautiful when the weather turns colder, and it’s not as crowded then. 

Planning a visit to Western North Carolina? Be sure to stop by for a tour and see how excellent retirement living can be in a mountain community built in the heart of it all.