Hawksbill & Table Rock in Linville Gorge Wilderness, North Carolina

The day started off as many hikes do with a bit of doubt, worry & small fear of the unknown. 

Today I was driving further than I have previously for a hike since moving to the Carolinas. I have seen several photographs and trail reviews for the Linville Gorge Wilderness and was planning on visiting for a while. Today was the day!

The weather was sunny with only a few clouds as Gus and I made our way for the 2hr 15min drive north past Asheville to Linville Gorge. We had a few hikes on our agenda which was ambitious, but doable. 

Upon arriving in Linville Gorge we by happenstance ran into a Park Ranger. I asked several questions regarding the hikes since he had the most intimate knowledge of the area. I rattled off my shortlist and he advised me to maybe skip one due to the high amount of foot traffic from tourists and I would be likely disappointed. However, the first two hikes I mentioned he said were "must dos".

The first hike was Table Rock Mountain. Gus and I am made our way up the curvey half dirt and half paved road with several precarious switchbacks to the small parking lot. We quickly threw on our hiking shoes, I grabbed his leash and the camera equipment to head up the trail. This was only a short hike, but was supposed to have a good payoff with views.

As we started up the trail there were several early rocky staircases to stretch out our legs on, which was a precursor for the remainder of the day. Along the way there were several lookout points one could take a short off shooting trial to and enjoy a few moments with striking views. We made our way to the summit which was upon a ridgeback. You can boulder jump from one end of the ridgeback to the other, which I am estimating to be about 200 yards.  The views from each end do vary a bit, so I would recommend traveling the ridgeback if you are able.  Overall, there are 360º of views from the summit of Table Rock.

Gus and I took several videos and photos here and enjoyed the stunning sights of the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains seemingly like waves in an ocean going on endlessly. We relaxed for a bit and spoke to several other hikers who confirmed that our second hike "Hawksbill", had even greater views! You could see the summit of Hawksbill from the top of Table Rock and it looked like sheer granite wall which was exciting.

We quickly made our way down Table Rock Mountain, popped into the car, and headed to our second hike at Hawksbill Mountain.

Hawksbill was yet another short hike, but slightly longer than the first. At this point the sun was starting to slowly sink towards the horizon. We made haste and headed up the well beaten path of Hawksbill. We passed several hikers coming down all with smiles on their faces and pure enjoyment in their hearts. There was a lookout along the trail which faced south away from the sun and gave quite a luscious green view of the farming countryside with a few rolling hills and a lake in the background.

A little more up the trail we ran into a large switch back that kicked left and quickly became a stone staircase for about 100 yards. There were several people who had stopped along the way of the staircase to catch their breath and have a sip of water. However, Gus and I were excited and pushed eagerly all the way up to the path in one fell swoop.

Upon reaching the summit the views were absolutely gorgeous. It seemed like the Blue Ridge Mountains covered in a million bright green trees rolled on as far as the eye could see. You could make out the Linville Gorge below in the valley with the river tracing down the middle. It was the exact view we had hoped for when leaving in the morning!

There is something to be said about the Blue Ridge Mountains. After living out west for years, the Rockies will always hold a special place in my heart and have given me some of the best views and experiences in my life. There is a certain amount of awesomeness to standing 360° in a valley of the Rockies and seeing amazing snow capped peaks surrounding you.

However, the Blue Ridge Mountains are a little more forgiving and give you a nice canopy to walk under as you smell the woods and hear all of its sounds, sometimes giving you a glimpse with a lookout.  Amazing summits are not a dime a dozen in the Blue Ridges. This was one of those instances where the summit was one of the most amazing sites that I have witnessed in the Blue Ridges to date.

We took several photos and videos on top of Hawksbill by ourselves undisturbed. We admired the awesomeness and absolute presence of a God, for no one else could have created such an amazing landscape. It was also clear to see how easily the Cherokee could have believed that the Blue Ridge Mountains were made by the Creators giant buzzard flying too low to the ground and it’s huge wings causing the earth to ripple and move in such a way it formed the Blue Ridge Mountain range.

We reluctantly made our way back down to the base of the hill. Now hungry, tired, heart filled with awe and completely satisfied of our day, we stopped in town for some well deserved protein filled dinner.

If you live near the Asheville area or even in the Upstate of South Carolina, I would highly recommend making a trip to Linville Gorge. The wilderness in the gorge will do anything but disappoint. There was several camping spots which Gus and I plan to utilize in the future . Both Table Rock in Hawksbill Mountains were sites to behold. However, if I had to pick one over the other; I would lean towards Hawksbill. Gus and I would love to catch a sunset sinking over the rolling mountains and camp beneath the stars. There’s always next time…


Tale of the Tape:

Table Rock Mountain:
Google Map Link
Alltrails Link
Distance: 1.2 miles
Vertical: 534 ft

Hawksbill Mountain:
Google Map Link
Alltrails Link
Distance: 1.8 miles
Vertical: 600 ft

Quick Videos of Our Hikes: