Hike in Linville Gorge

This was first for me in many areas. The 90 degree drops along the trail, the scrambling, the switchbacks, the rock climbing, all of which I was not expecting yet exactly what I wanted. It's funny how this adventure started, and where it led us.

The road to the gorge is interesting, clusters of camp sites along the way make you think that's it, that's where you're suppose to go - right? Wrong! Don't be fooled by the patches of grass for car camping, that's for the birds, the real adventure is down the trails, and when I say down, I mean straight down.

Now sure, the end of the dirt road leads you to an amazing lookout, breathtaking even, but the little tiny trailheads along the way are where it's at. It doesn't seem like much at first, until the inclines are a straight 90 degrees down, and you're thinking to yourself, "What am I doing here?". After countless switchbacks, you come face to face with the Linville River, which looks like something out of a fairytale for exploring. This is when the fun begins: hopping from rock to rock, barely getting your feet wet as you make you're way up the banks, hunting down the perfect camp site.

That first trailhead on the left, the hike that drops 1000 feet in less than a mile, a left at the river, and upstream on the right hand side... is exactly where you'll find it. The perfect river site, filled with flat rocks, low hanging trees, and a cave to wait out the elements.