Had such a good time to spend with my brother going to Linville Falls from Columbia, SC. We usually come up here in the Summer months for vacation but decided to have a weekend trip in Forest City and then came up further in North Carolina to see Table Rock and Linville Gorge.
It took us almost 3 1/2 - 4 hours to get back to South Carolina from Linville Falls. I’m glad we get to see how God created the mountains for us to see and admired his creations of the mystic beauty of the Appalachians.
Would recommend visiting on a clear day! 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Road up is always sketchy but super fun in a truck! Ruts and washouts can get pretty deep. Views are incredible, such an amazing view right in between Hawksbill and Tablerock. Walk in very easy.
Had a fun weekend camping with my sons at one of the boondocking sites on Old NC 105 near Wiseman’s View. The view is a must see. 105 is a stone road was pretty rough in places and recommend a 4x4 vehicle. Be mindful of weather, it rolls in fast.
Breathtaking views will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about the awesomeness of God!
Beautiful day for a wedding! Definitely need 4WD/AWD.
October 22, made attempt to get to Wiseman’s view of Linnville Gorge from Rt 183. I have a Subaru Outback AWD. After passing trailhead to Bluff trail, hit an uphill section of road that had 3 huge ruts that would have in all probability bottomed me out. So turned around. Before I left, two other SUVs looked and turned around. One truck that was jacked up with large over size tires did make it. So if you have an off-road 4wd and lots of experience u can make it. Otherwise you better know who is going to tow u before you attempt. Took in view of gorge from parking lot at Bluff trailhead. Was worth the drive to that point!
Wiseman's View is exactly what people say it is. I arrived here at 7.15am on a Wednesday morning to catch the sunrise and was not disappointed. There were only 2 other people here when I arrived, one of whom was a photographer who got there at 6.30am for the same reason. It is just an amazing spot to experience for oneself and since it was a week day morning, it was barely crowded.
Before going, I appreciated every review about the unpaved gravel road: it is about 4miles long and will be terrible to navigate on rainy/wet days. I had a standard VW SUV with an offroad gear. There were about 3 spots where I had to meander to go over ruts but that didn't take long.
Highly recommend visiting
Woke up early to watch the Sunrise , My wife and i loved every moment of it , the drive up the mountain entering the gravel road was intriguing but i dont recommend on rainy days definitely recommend taking a good vehicle .
Just incredible! I loved the multiple look outs! Views were stunning and there was plenty of parking. The drive up was only suited for someone with patience and with a high clearance vehicle. But definitely an amazing spot to go!
Perhaps the best view in all of NC. 4wd recommended because of clearance 2wd is fine. . Passenger cars will not make it without clearance. About 50 vehicles on 12 mile long trail. Cell coverage entire trip.
WOW! Though the Linville falls visitor center stool remains closed, we stopped by the general store to ask for information. The young lady was so super helpful and suggested we drive all the way up to Wiseman Road to the end, we found the parking lot & a short paved walk to the end. Stunning views. Breath taking to say the least. I was impressed that they also had a handicap ramp, short back ramp to the end with the views. The drive is uphill on a gravel road,just wide enough in most areas for vehicles in both directions. It is bumpy, but so worth it.
Amazing view from the summit. Currently construction going on and road leading to trailhead is closed. You can park on the side of the main rd and walk down from there. Not a long hike at all.
I love this place so much. Definitely check it out on July 4th as well. It's an amazing feeling watching all the fireworks on the horizon of the mountains. ??
Stunning views. The trail is not long and it’s completely paved. I liked how it is wheel chair accessible. However, the worst part is getting there. There is one section of the road where we had to put our Jeep GC in 4WD to get up the mountain and over the huge crater holes. Worth it though as the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Wisemen’s view is breathtaking!
This viewpoint is fabulous but I wouldn’t drive a regular sedan on the gravel road leading up to it! Once you make the drive, it’s an easy walk, even wheelchair accessible!
We've been visiting the High Country for years, but finally made the trip to Wiseman's View, and it did not disappoint! The drive includes a ~3.5 mile dirt road to the parking area if coming from the north. It's much longer from the south, a passerby told us.
We had four-wheel drive and had no issues. I suspect it's necessary in many seasons or stormy weather, but cars made it up the day we were there, so it's probably fine in the summer, but there are some big bumps and ruts.
Once you arrive at the parking area, you can access the view by a level, paved path, so most visitors can visit if you're open to the dirt road. There are stairs down to the viewing area, but benches along the path for those who can't do stairs.
All of the west gravel road for Linville Gorge is amazing to explore and the views are astonishing!
I went through the entire gravel road with my little Hyundai Elantra- I definitely do not recommend doing it however I was able to make it without braking a tie rod or having a flat.
I was also with my dog - the information cabin says “dogs on leash or under control”. My dog has a good recall so for some of the strenuous hikes I had him off leash next to me so he wouldn’t trip me down rocks.
Absolutely amazing! Brilliant views of the Linville Gorge.
Dirt road for the last 3 ish miles leading up to the parking area. Bit rough at times, cars can make it, but it's gonna be rough. Recommend AWD or 4x4 in wet conditions. If you have a low clearance vehicle you will scrape in spots, road is maintained but rough in some places.
Overlook is about a 5 min easy walk from the larking area.
Wheelchair accessible (at least down to the view, not out on the ledges).
VERY DANGEROUS for small children or dogs. Literal cliffs with hundreds of feet dropoffs that are easily accessible by foot.
Wiseman’s Overlook is absolutely breathtaking—my favorite scenic overlook in the North Carolina mountains! The panoramic views of the Linville Gorge are stunning any time of year, but especially in the fall when the leaves are changing. The peaceful atmosphere, combined with the distant sound of the waterfall below, makes it feel like a hidden slice of heaven. If you love mountain views, this overlook is a must-see. Pictures don’t do it justice—you truly have to experience it in person! You might even get lucky and watch the fighter pilots practice in the valley!
I went for the sunrise. Beautiful views and so many great birds, heard a whippoorwill. That was a treat! The road can be a little bit rough in spots but if you take it slow you'll be fine.
The views are stunning! It was very peaceful and we even saw some jets doing a mission in the valley! The parking lot is decently sized and The walk to the viewpoint is 5 minutes max. There is a handicap path to get to the viewpoint. The ride up was incredibly rough on our car (Ford focus) and I admit we probably won't go with that vehicle again. We got up but there were parts where we spun. It is about 4 miles of dirt road that's about 1.5 cars wide. Just take it slow. Going down if you go back the same way it will be very steep but it is shorter. If you go left, it takes you along the valley where you can get some fantastic views but you will ride in similar conditions for 30 minutes longer. There are lots of pull offs for camping on that side.
Beautiful views all around and easy walk on paved tail. Plenty of parking but it can get busy on the weekends. We have visited this place many times in different seasons and every single time it is amazing in the winter you see a lot more because the trees have no leafs, the summer the trees have leaves and the views are more limited and of course the fall is the busiest time to go but all year and all seasons have their own beauty. The whole area is incredible and worth the visit. There is no wait and it's free, can't beat that.
This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to, and we travel a lot all around the world. Pictures simply don’t do justice! The views are incredible and if you are lucky enough that you’re the only one there then there’s total silence. Just breathtaking.
It’s free, can be approached on a wheelchair too as the short road leading from the parking lot to the viewpoint is paved. There’s a toilet by the parking lot too.
I don’t get the complaints about the road leading up to the parking lot. It’s a 4 mile long road and it’s exactly what you could expect from any unpaved road that leads through woods. It might be challenging after a very heavy rain, but otherwise it’s just a bit bumpy and that’s all.
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