Area guide
Things to do near Linville Falls
Our favorite hikes, drives, rainy-day picks and places to eat, all an easy drive from the cabins.
Outdoor Adventures
Linville Falls
Two parking areas lead to different views of the falls. Park at the Forest Service lot for the Upper Falls, Chimney View and Erwin’s View overlooks, or at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (milepost 316) for the Plunge Basin hike to the base.
Linville Gorge Wilderness
Rugged trails and huge views in the “Grand Canyon of the East.” Don’t miss the Wiseman’s View overlook.
Photo · Linville Gorge climbing
Guided Multi-Pitch Climbing in Linville Gorge
Guided multi-pitch climbing trips in Linville Gorge, including routes on Table Rock, the landmark peak on the gorge rim.
Pisgah National Forest
The Grandfather Ranger District surrounds the area with nearly 200,000 acres of trails, waterfalls and rivers, including Wilson Creek, Catawba Falls and the Lost Cove Cliffs. Great for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, tubing and camping.
Photo · Fly fishing
Guided fly fishing with 828 Flies
The High Country has some of the best freestone fly fishing east of the Mississippi. Clean, high-gradient mountain streams hold native Southern Appalachian brook trout along with wild brown and rainbow trout. 828 Flies is a full-service fly shop in Seven Devils with an expert guide staff.
Best seasons: March–June and October–early December, though fishing is good year-round.
133 Shelby St, Seven Devils · 828-967-0257
Mon–Sat 10am–6pm · Sun 10am–4pm
Zip lines at High Gravity Adventures
Treetop zip line tours with a sky bridge, valley crossing and freefall drop, plus a three-story aerial adventure course, a kids’ course for ages 4 and up, and a 45-foot giant swing. Between Boone and Blowing Rock, next to Tweetsie Railroad.
215 Tweetsie Railroad Ln, Blowing Rock · 828-266-0176
Hours vary by season; check the schedule before you go.
Scenic Drives & Views
Blue Ridge Parkway
Overlooks, picnic spots and trailheads in every direction, and spectacular in fall color season.
Grandfather Mountain
Walk the Mile High Swinging Bridge, visit the animal habitats and hike the ridge trails.
Linn Cove Viaduct
The Parkway’s famous curving bridge that hugs the side of Grandfather Mountain.
Rough Ridge
A short, steep climb off the Parkway to open rock with huge views of Grandfather Mountain and the Linn Cove Viaduct. About 1.2 miles round trip, and stunning at sunrise and in fall.
Photo · Kistler Memorial Hwy
Old NC 105 (Kistler Memorial Highway)
A slow gravel drive along the West Rim of Linville Gorge to Wiseman’s View and the west-rim trailheads, with views of Table Rock, Hawksbill and Shortoff. Expect washboard and potholes.
Family & Rainy Days
Linville Caverns
Guided walking tours through limestone caverns. Cool in summer and dry on a rainy day.
Museum of North Carolina Minerals
Hands-on exhibits about the region’s gems, minerals and mining history at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 331. Open year-round.
Downtown Blowing Rock
A walkable mountain town packed with shops, galleries and restaurants.
Food & Drink
Our favorite dinner spot
Louise’s Rock House
A family-owned, rustic diner in Newland serving home-style Southern cooking: beef tips, chicken and dumplings, steaks, ribs and famous pies.
BBQ
Old Hampton Store
Wood-smoked barbecue served in a historic general store and gristmill in Linville.
Banks Creek Barn
A 70-acre spot in Linville Falls with a restaurant, local draft beer, ice cream, trout fishing, disc golf and playgrounds. Open Friday to Sunday, April through November.
Carringer Farms dinners
Multi-course farm-to-table dinners near Newland with guest chefs, live music and a farm tour. Weekends, May through October. Dates sell out, so book ahead.
By Season
Summer · July
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games
Four days of Scottish heritage at MacRae Meadows in Linville each July: caber toss and other Highland athletics, piping and drumming, Highland dance, sheep herding and the Parade of Tartans. The 2027 Games run July 8–11.
Summer
Tubing on the New River
Float a lazy stretch of the New River near Todd with River & Earth Adventures. Two-hour self-paced floats and longer guided trips with swimming holes and sandbars.
Fall
Leaf season on the Parkway
Peak color usually arrives in October. Book early, because these weekends go fast.
October
Woolly Worm Festival
Banner Elk’s beloved festival, complete with woolly worm races that “predict” the winter.
October
Valle Country Fair
A beloved one-day fair in Valle Crucis on the third Saturday of October, with bluegrass and gospel music, handmade crafts, Brunswick stew and apple butter stirred while you watch. Free admission; proceeds help neighbors in need.
Winter
Skiing and snow days
Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain resorts for skiing, snowboarding and tubing.
Winter
Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing
Two fast 400-foot tubing slopes with a conveyor back to the top, about 8 minutes down NC 181 from the cabins. Timed sessions, night tubing and all ages welcome. Book online and bring a signed waiver.
Photo credits (images resized): Linville Falls by P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Linville Gorge by Diogeninja, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · Blue Ridge Parkway and Grandfather Mountain by Ken Thomas, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Linn Cove Viaduct by Matthew Trudeau Photography, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · Linville Caverns by Jan Kronsell, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Museum of North Carolina Minerals by NPS Photo/L. Marois · Blowing Rock by Leslie Anne Perry, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · Rough Ridge by Andres Nino · Zip line photo courtesy of High Gravity Adventures
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