Linville Falls – Linville Gorge Wilderness – Blue Ridge Parkway
Trail Length: 1.7 mi
AllTrails Rating: Moderate
famBeta Rating: Almost Difficult
famBeta Time: We spent a total of 3.5hrs in and around Linville Falls. Our original intent was to hike the overlooks to the south of the Visitor Center and Upper Falls however several of the trails beyond the Upper Falls were closed for maintenance. The trails to the basin and basin overlook were open so we skipped the beginning part of our trip and spent more time in the basin.
Let’s get one thing straight. The Linville Gorge Wilderness is an honest to god wilderness. While hiking the plunge basin and upper falls area no doubt brings you to the busiest part of this large and wild forest it is still a remarkable bit of nature you’ll travel through.
On the day of our hike the Plunge Basin trails were relatively busy, I feel this is primarily because the upper trails (easy trails with beautiful views of the falls from the peaks to it’s south) were closed. I would imagine on a typical day the hiker volume would be much smaller.
This is not an easy trail and not a good trail for beginners. It is moderately technical and while not particularly long or steep it can be a real challenge after a rain or with wet boots. It is not impossible at all to do this trail with kids, but you will need to make sure they are paying attention to the best routes to take. It was our opinion that while every second in these woods was beautiful, that it was much more difficult descending to the basin than it was to climb out.
We did this trail with all three kids and a special shoutout has to be given to Erin who carried Hendrix in the Deuter Kid Comfort the entire way. Seriously, she was in full beast mode and could barely climb the stairs in our house upon our return. We would definitely recommend this trail as the basin is amazing, but you have to be prepared for a challenging hike and bouldering sesh.
