Waterfall Hero Hikes: Brushy Ridge Falls (Linville Gorge)

Brushy Ridge Falls is a 15-foot waterfall on Linville River in Burke County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located in the Linville Gorge Wilderness in Pisgah National Forest.

Hike Length: 2.8 miles
Estimated Time: 2 to 4 hours
Difficulty: Difficult
Location: Linville Gorge Wilderness (Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Moderate
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 35.94037,-81.93042
Waterfall GPS: 35.93275,-81.92520

Directions:

From Morganton, head north on NC-181 for about 26 miles and turn left on NC-183 north. Go 3.8 miles and turn left on Kistler Memorial Highway/Old NC-105 to enter Linville Gorge. Drive 0.9 miles on this rough, gravel road to a parking area on the left at the trailhead for Pine Gap Trail.

Map:

Hike Description:

Note that there are several ways to get to the falls, but this is probably the easiest. From the trailhead, hike down Pine Gap Trail to enter the wilderness. Pine Gap Trail ends in 0.7 miles at a four-way intersection. Bynum Bluff Trail is to the right and left and Linville Gorge Trail is straight ahead. There are no signs or blazes in the wilderness. Go straight on Linville Gorge Trail for about 0.6 miles to a sharp curve in the river. There is a campsite here and the waterfall is visible from the campsite. If the rocks are dry, you can climb down to river level.