Cathedral Falls (Linville Gorge)

Cathedral Falls is a 50-foot waterfall on a tributary of Linville River in Burke County, North Carolina.  The waterfall is located in the Linville Gorge Wilderness in Pisgah National Forest.

Hike Length: 4.0 miles
Estimated Time: 2 to 3 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: 35.89018,-81.90623
Waterfall GPS: 35.90059,-81.89787

Directions:

From Morganton head north on NC-181 for about 5 miles and turn left on Frank Whisnant Road.  Go 2.6 miles and bear right on NC-126 west.  Drive 9.8 miles and make a sharp right on Old NC-105 (Kistler Memorial Highway).  Continue a total of 10.4 miles to the Conley Cove Trailhead on the right.  The road becomes gravel and is quite steep and rough in places. 

Map:

Hike Description:

Take the Conley Cove Trail (#229) that descends steeply into the gorge.  The trail ends in 1.4 miles at Linville Gorge Trail near the river.  Turn left on Linville Gorge Trail (#231) and hike about 0.6 miles.  A short scramble path leads down to the river across from Cathedral Falls.

Blog Entries:

27-Mar-2022: Cathedral Falls