This free public attraction offers several great hiking options. The easiest is a short (less than one mile) and fairly flat hike through the beautiful mountain woods to the Linville Falls viewing area. It's well worth the walk, but do be sure and wear comfortable, hard soled shoes.

A trail to the right of a large boulder (you'll know it when you see it) leads to the north side of the mountain, where hikers are rewarded with rare 360-degree views of the gorge and beyond, including Grandfather Mountain, Table Rock, Mount Mitchell, and, on clear days, Charlotte, some 90 miles away.

Linville Falls is probably the most famous waterfall in the Blue Ridge. The trails include four overlooks to the waterfalls, where wildflowers and foliage abound along the way. Please note that climbing on rocks or swimming in the water around Linville Falls is prohibited.

The Linville Falls trails range in difficulty from moderate to strenuous. A moderate 1.6 mile round-trip walk, offering hikers four overlooks, each revealing a different aspect of the Linville Falls area. The first overlook is 0.5 miles from the visitor center, and is a moderate walk with a slight loss of elevation.