Linville Gorge Wilderness Trails

A 12,002-acre tract of designated wilderness, Linville Gorge lies between Jonas Ridge to the east and Linville Mountain to the west. The Blue Ridge Parkway skirts the head of the gorge on the northwest, where the Parkway’s Linville Falls Recreation Area provides a nice glimpse into the chasm. Peaks on the rim of the gorge tower over Morganton and Lake James. The wild canyon, up to 2,000 feet deep in places, was first protected as a primitive area by the Forest Service in 1951. Descriptions of the following trails are included: the Wisemans View Trail, Linville Gorge Trail, Pine Gap Trail, Bynum Bluff Trail, Cabin Trail, Babel Tower Trail, Devils Hole Trail, Sandy Flats Trail, Spence Ridge Trail, Conley Cove Trail, Rock Jock Trail, Cambric Branch Trail, Pinch In Trail; Hawksbill Mountain Trail, Sitting Bear Trail and Devils Hole Trail near Hawksbill Mountain; and Table Rock Trail, Shortoff Mountain Trail, Cambric Branch Trail near Table Rock and Shortoff Mountans.