Winter Sunset From The Linville Gorge West Rim

Three years have passed since I posted this Linville Gorge essay. Late February in the Gorge reminds me of the beauty that surrounds us even without snow.

Living in The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina- A Blog

Driving along the forest road on the western rim of Linville Gorge, you are greeted with this panoramic vista of the mountains toward the southwest. The most distant 4,000 foot peaks are around Lake Lure forty miles away. This unpaved roadway varies between 3,300 and 3,900 feet as you head south at the crest of the ridge.

Looking east from the same spot (above), you see 4,100 foot Hawksbill Mountain, with the North Carolina Piedmont visible in the far distance. A little further south, you park, and hike to what many call is the most spectacular spot in all of the Appalachian Mountains……..

This is Wiseman’s Point, and from here you can see the gorge in all its glory. Above, you see the eastern rim, with the Linville River cascading 1,500 feet below toward Lake James of the Catawba River system. Turning back to the north…