Blue Ridge Parkway - Section 3 Guided Hikes
Linville Falls - Erwin's View
1.5mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Few Hills
- Tread Condition: Few Hills
This trail passes through a majestic forest of old-growth hemlock and white pines, to spectacular cliff-top views of one of the most photographed waterfalls in the East. Linville Falls has two mail trails: Erwin's view and Plunge Basin. Erwin's view is the easier of the two, and stops at three main overlooks: Upper Falls, Chimney View, and Erwin's View. Spectacular views of the falls, the surrounding mountains, and the Linville Gorge await.
Crabtree Falls
2.5mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Few Hills
- Tread Condition: Few Hills
This popular, short loop descends moderately to a majestic 70' waterfall, which has been touted as one of the most photogenic in the area. You'll climb steeply up the opposite ridge for a short distance, then hike a wide, smooth trail beside the stream. Many very large trees grace the forest in this area. Finish out the loop by climbing gently through a beautiful hardwood forest. Can you find the Fraser Magnolia, which has the largest leaves of any tree in the woods? Starts in a Blue Ridge Parkway campground which makes a good base camp for further explorations into the area.
Potato Knob Fields
2mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Climbs Moderately
- Tread Condition: Climbs Moderately
This rocky, prominent peak is visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway and is a well-known landmark. This spectacular section of the Mountains to Sea Trail travels to some scenic meadows below the summit. You'll go thorough a pleasant spruce-fir forest, some of which was planted as a reforestation effort after the mountains were logged. The trail itself is a marvel, as gigantic rocks have been moved to form the trail surface.
