Linville Gorge Wilderness

35°54′22″N 81°54′51″W / 35.906238°N 81.914277°W / 35.906238; -81.914277

Linville Gorge Wilderness
wilderness area)
Dogback Ridge as seen from Wiseman's View
Map of the United States
Location	Burke County, North Carolina, USA
Nearest city	Morganton, North Carolina
Area	11,786 acres (48 km2)
Designation	1964
Designated	Wilderness Area
Governing body	United States Forest Service
Website	Linville Gorge Wilderness

The Linville Gorge Wilderness ("The Grand Canyon of North Carolina") is the third largest

Popular tourist attractions in or near the wilderness are^[citation needed]:

• Linville Falls, a waterfall fed by the river and free to the public.
• Wiseman's View, a rock outcrop near the center of the gorge that gives an excellent view of the interior of the gorge.
• Linville Caverns, a privately maintained cave attraction accessible by automobile from U.S. Route 221.

History

Prior to the European colonization of North America, virtually all of western North Carolina was inhabited by tribes of the Cherokee Indians. In the Cherokee language, the Linville River is called Ee-see-oh, which means "river of many cliffs" when literally translated.^[2][3] Early white settlers named the river Linville in honor of John and William Linville, explorers who were scalped by the Shawnee^[4] in the gorge in 1766.^[3]

The steepness of the sides, the depth of the gorge, and the peaks of the Jonas Ridge to the east and Linville Mountain to the west made settlement impractical in the 1800s and 1900s. In the early 20th century,

The southern end of Linville Gorge, as seen from the summit of Table Rock

Camping and hiking

Due to the nature of the terrain, hiking in the Linville Gorge can be a strenuous and challenging activity. Maps of the trail system are available through

In order to maintain the quality of the wilderness, camping in the gorge is managed by the Grandfather Ranger District of the United States Forest Service. Group sizes are limited to no more than ten people, and free permits are required on weekends and holidays from 1 May until 31 October each year. Permits are restricted to one stay per group per month, and for no longer than three days and two nights per visit.^{[citation needed]}

Hunting and fishing

Game animals such as deer, black bear, wild turkey, and gray squirrel are common in the gorge. As part of the Pisgah Game Lands established by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, hunting is legal in the area in keeping with local seasons and hunting regulations. In actual practice, hunting in the Linville Gorge is fairly rare, due to the difficult, inaccessible terrain and the presence of campers and hikers who are often unfamiliar with hunting seasons.^{[citation needed]}

The Linville River is included in the NC Wildlife trout stocking program, and fishermen are occasionally seen in the gorge seeking brown, brook, and rainbow trout. Once again however, the terrain requires a long hike down the steep sides of the gorge to reach the river, and a long difficult hike back, so fishing is more common on the river above and below the gorge section.^{[citation needed]}

Climbing

Rock climbing is allowed anywhere in the area, but due to nesting

• 
  Sunrise over Table Rock
• 
  Babel Tower
• 
  Hawksbill and Sitting Bear as seen from Wiseman's View
• 
  Linville Falls at the northern end of Linville Gorge
• 
  Wiseman's View
• 
  The Linville Gorge as seen from the top of Table Rock
• 
  Climbers in the Linville Gorge
• 
  Linville Gorge from Wiseman's View
• 
  Hawksbill Mountain as seen from Dogback Ridge
• 
  Table Rock as seen from Dogback Ridge
• 
  View of the Linville River
• 
  Southeast Canyon Wall
• 
  Lake James and surrounding area from southern end of Linville Gorge
• 
  Sunrise from Wiseman's View
• 
  Springtime at Wiseman's View
• 
  Sunset from Wiseman's View
• 
  Gorge and Hawksbill from Wiseman's View

See also

• Blue Ridge Parkway

References

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Linville Gorge Wilderness.

• linvillegorge.net.
• Effects of Future Sulfate and Nitrate Deposition Scenarios on Linville Gorge and Shining Rock Wildernesses United States Department of Agriculture