Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The Linville Falls: From the Gorge Floor

Quiet Reflection Photo Copyright © 2007 G. Kiser

The Linville Falls area is just North of the Linville Gorge along the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can find this attraction at milepost 316.5 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just South of the Linn Cove Viaduct. A second trailhead can also be found off of Kistler Memorial Highway (Old NC 105) off of NC 183. To view the Linville Falls, your best bet would be the former where the visitor's center is.

This particular view comes from the most strenuous trail in the park, the Linville Gorge Trail. It is steep, full of rocks, ruts, and tree roots...however, for the best view of the Linville Falls, up close and personal, there is no better option. While I always recommend hiking attire and footwear, this is one of those occasions where a good pair of hiking boots will really help you along.

The trailhead starts at the visitor's center as the others. To the right of the office, you will find the trail that takes you to Upper Falls, Chimney View, and Erwin's View. To the left of the office you will find the trails that will take you to Dugger's Creek Falls, the Plunge Basin Overlook, and down to the Gorge itself. Choosing the trailhead to the left is what you want to do for this Trek.

Quickly after entering the wood line the trail will fork, take the right fork marked Linville Gorge. This trail is 0.6 mile and will probably take about 15 minutes at a good and steady pace. Not too long after starting this trail you will likely come across a very large tree that has fallen and is blocking the path. It has been there for at least the past year and is showing no signs of being removed. You can crawl over it to continue on the trail. You will reach another fork in the trail after 0.2 mile. Continue to follow the sign directions for the Linville Gorge. At this point the trail increases in difficulty as you start your descent. At one point there are 23 wooden stairs to aid in the hike and to protect the ground from sliding boots and shoes.

When you are finished with the stairs the trail does something rather funny. There is another fork, but there are no signs and there is supposed to be only one trail that proceeds through. The left fork is actually drainage from the mountains, and while it looks like a trail...it is not and will end you up on a very skinny ledge on the side of a steep slope....don't ask. What you want to do is take the right fork which is a much better trail that actually leads to the bottom of the gorge. It looks like the trail terminates at the river, but if you look closely, you will see it continues along the bank to the right. At this point, you will begin to hear the mighty Linville Falls as you get closer. You will make a shallow right turn along the rock wall and there you are...face to face with the Linville Falls.

Downstream
Well, not quite fact to face with the falls.  There is a row of cascades just downstream of the falls that makes for a great panoramic shot.  You can also make out some of the terrain that you will need to traverse to get to the best position for a picture of Linville Falls.  There is also a rock to the rear that you can climb on to get another viewpoint if you want to include these cascades.

You can also get close enough to the falls to actually touch it with just a small bit of wading. Keep in mind that there is no swimming in Parkway Waters. Of course, expect to see lots of people of all ages here in the warmer months as it is a very popular summer destination. If you are like me, and want to enjoy this waterfall in the quiet, you might want to go in the winter months, or early in the morning as the park fills up fast in good weather.

For those of you who are photographers, this particular waterfall, and specifically from this vantage point, allows you to break one of the steadfast rules of waterfall photography. Due to the wide open canopy, the very fast water flow, and the fact that the sun rises in a perfect position to illuminate the falls very evenly, you can actually photograph this waterfall under a clear sky. There are very few waterfalls where this can be done successfully, so take advantage of this.

One additional note about the return hike. If you will recall, I mentioned a possible wrong turn you might take earlier. Well, it is pretty easy to avoid on the hike down, but on the hike back to the visitor's center, the chances of you missing a turn are pretty good. This is how I found out the destination of this impromptu trail. As you are hiking back, keep an eye out to your left. The trail is no better marked or worn than the drainage path, but you will see those 23 steps to your left. After you make this turn, the rest of the trail is easy to follow. There are no blazes, or other markers to keep you on the trail so be mindful of where you are headed.

This is the last trail at Linville Falls that I had left to hike. I now feel pretty qualified to make some suggestions for visitors. If you are there for just a short amount of time and are not that interested in a hike, you should go and see Dugger's Creek Falls. The trail is short and easy. The waterfall itself is the prettiest in the whole park, in my humble opinion. If you just have to see the Linville Falls, but are not in the best of shape, you should Trek up to Erwin's View. The hike is long, but easy with several stops along the way where you can rest while looking at the falls. The ultimate view, and the ultimate hike are the one in this entry...The Linville Gorge trail will take you right to the base of the most famous waterfall in North Carolina. You might be a bit tired after the hike, but it is well worth the effort.



9 comments:

Anonymous said...

beautiful...
gina

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, Greg...  Thank you for sharing your adventures!

Michelle

Anonymous said...

I appreciate that photography tip about best lighting for taking photos of water falls... I didn't realize why I had such a hard time getting those great shots... and it's all because of the lighting. Most of the time, there is too much shade to take great shots. Yours is a practical and helpful tip I will remember next time I'm out waterfall hopping... I've been to Linville Falls, a lonnnng time ago. Now that I've got a digital camera, I feel like revisiting all the vacation spots we visited when we were young (and poor!). Have a great week, Greg. Great photo here. Peaceful. As always. Bea

Anonymous said...

Hi, found you in a round about way from Marie's Muses and Bea's blog.  Having lived in the North Ga mountains for the past 5 years, although we recently moved away, I fell in love with waterfalls.  I've actually visited some of the ones you've pictured here in NC.

Your photography is gorgeous.  I'll be visiting your other site.

Melody
http://slurpinglife.typepad.com/

Anonymous said...

Man dude....This pic is awesome.. Absolutely superb..simply marvelous darling.. You do some GREAT work....The most talented photographer I have seen.

Anonymous said...

Love the photo Gregg, but it sounds that I would probably get lost trying to find it, but I am glad you found it to share with us.      Dawn

Anonymous said...

Hi, Greg!  I think you need to post another waterfall picture soon!  :)  Maria

Anonymous said...

New here and could you possibly at some time in future go over again the tips on lighting near waterfalls? Only water falls I get to in my area is N.H. and have taken quite a few are so far am satisfied until I look at yours. lol any tips will be greatly appreciated.   All your photos are breathtaking!!!!!!!
Nancy

mtrib2 said...

The photography of the waterfalls is beyond description. I didn't even know if your link would even still work. Mark Tribley