Linville Gorge and River

Of all the places I have visited in the North Carolina mountains, none rivals Linville Gorge for sheer beauty and majesty. An ancient relic of plate upheaval and glacial carving, this magnificent wilderness is a sleeping giant among travel destinations along the Blue Ridge. With the Linville River still working its magic 2,000 feet below the rim, the sound from the distant rapids can be heard long before you actually see the gorge.

At Wiseman’s View (below), the mountains along the eastern rim vault skyward from the river.

The craggy cliffs and rock chimneys on the east rim are the nesting grounds of Perigrine Falcons and other hawks and birds of prey. (below)

To the southeast of  Wiseman’s View along the eastern rim is the dramatic Table Rock, with its flat summit (below).

Two visitors pause to admire the incredible panorama that greets them at Wiseman’s View on the western rim.

• August 13, 2012
• Linville Gorge, Rivers, Streams, and Creeks, Summer
• 5 Comments