Linville Gorge is often called “The Grand Canyon of North Carolina”. Once you see it you can understand why.

The terrain is so rugged that it was never logged

The peak on the left is “Hawksbill” and the one on the right is “Table Rock”. Elevation averages 4,000 feet atop Hawksbill Mountain and falls 2,000 feet to the Linville River in the valley. Linville Gorge is located a few miles south of Linville Falls, NC and is within the bounds of the Pisgah National Forest. The terrain is so rugged that it was never logged, making it one of the few examples of old-growth forest in the Eastern US.

This panorama was taken from Wiseman’s View which is about 1,500 feet above the river.