Most of the attention in Linville Gorge is focused on the northern features. There are more trails, higher peaks, and family recreation areas. But the south gorge is every bit as compelling and beautiful, with spectacular panoramic views up the gorge and westward to Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Shortoff Mountain is a thousand feet lower than its more famous brethren to the north — Tablerock and Hawksbill — but it also offers unobstructed views of Lake James to the south. Hiking this trail is a sweet shortcut to the sheer cliffs on the rim of Shortoff Mountain. They stand high above the Linville River below, so watch your step, but enjoy the scenic gorge that surrounds you. This hike occurred on Thursday, October 6, 2011 from 9:55am to about 1:40pm. The plan was to take the Shortoff Mountain Trail from Wolfpit Road to the summit of Shortoff Mountain and wander around on the plateau checking out the scenic views of Linville Gorge. Return would be via the same trail.

View Shortoff Mountain Trail, Linville Gorge Wilderness in a larger map

Drought induced fire ravaged Shortoff Mountain twice in the past decade, first in 2002, then again in 2007. It’s a double-edge sword however. The blackened tree stumps and remains are tolerable because the vistas are wide open. Without the tree cover, everything that was previously not visible along the trail now comes into view. The forest is doing a good job of regenerating already, and we happened to hit it just as the sumac and other low-lying ground cover were displaying their richest autumn regalia. Without the forest cover though, be sure to be prepared for bright sunshine with sunscreen and a cap.

All of the 1300 feet of elevation gain on this hike occurs in the first mile, so it is a steady upward climb right from the trailhead. We began to see evidence of those fires almost immediately, and also the erosion that occurred before revegetation. The trail itself has become a drainage channel from the mountain above, so it is very rocky and beginning to trench in spots. I would definitely recommend wearing thick soled hiking shoes or boots so your feet can withstand all the rocks.

After about 15 minutes of climbing, be sure to start looking behind you because Lake James and the surrounding valley are there to behold. At first we could see the fingers of the Linville River backed up behind the dam. The higher we climbed, more of the full expanse of the lake came into view, including the section behind the Catawba River Dam. The South Mountains are visible beyond the lake, and the massive edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment appears to the west.

As we cleared the few stands of trees near the bottom that were spared in the fires, the trail began to get steeper; so the switchbacks started. Nearly all the rest of the upward climb is done on switchbacks — a good thing — because it’s a significant incline. After about a half mile of climbing we reached the beginning of the rocky outcroppings, and our first views within the south end of Linville Gorge itself. These outcrops are like benches; nice places to sit and rest for awhile. The thread that is Linville River is visible below, but mostly guarded by the thick forest along the river’s edge.

The lower trail goes through one more series of switchbacks before reaching the plateau. You’ll know you are there when you pass a small piped spring along the right side of the very narrow trail. The spring water immediately drops off the left side of the trail to the depths below. Just around the bend is a short spur trail to the first cliff overlook. It’s a long way down, so be very careful. There are plenty of toe snags to trip and stumble — not a good place to do that. From this first cliff we could see the western edge of Lake James to the south, and northward the very large rock wall along Shortoff Mountain’s western rim that is home to the peregrine falcons. Rock climbers love this cliff wall, but it is closed to climbing during the falcon nesting season from January 15 – August 15.

The 2883′ top of Shortoff Mountain is a large plateau. The trail alternates between following the cliff edge, and plunging into the young, rejuvenating forest… and it’s flat. Whew, what a relief! On this early October day we were treated to excellent autumn colorings from the ground cover and wildflowers. From purple daisies to the bright yellow of the goldenrod, the red sumac and the evergreen pine, all topped by a brilliant blue sky that was crystal clear. It was a visual Fall delight.

Pausing for a few breaks on the way up, it took us an hour and 20 minutes to reach a very large opening along the western cliff face that gave us our first complete view of the full gorge northward. There is a rock rim about 50 feet long with bench like terraces that looked exactly like lunch. We dropped our packs, pulled out our sandwiches and fruit, and sat in awe of the stellar view of Tablerock and Hawksbill Mountains to the north. We could make out the river artery 1300 feet below and Linville Mountain along the western flank. Further north up Jonas Ridge was Sitting Bear Mountain and the gaps between mountains where the trails down to the river begin.

In the near distance we could see The Chimneys on the southern side of Tablerock Mountain and the sharp slope down to the North Carolina Wall, another haven for rock climbers. We talked fondly of that really windy day when we hiked down that slope to peer into The Amphitheater, as well as looking south at the cliffs of Shortoff where we were now enjoying our lunch. I love the perspective I am developing by seeing all the features of Linville Gorge from each other; and there’s so much more yet to explore as there are 39 miles of trails within the wilderness. I’ve only done about half so far.

After getting sated and re-energized by lunch, we continued our northward trek. The famous Mountains to the Sea trail joins the Shortoff Trail on the plateau and is identified by white blaze circles on trees. I was frankly surprised to see the blaze marks because I didn’t think they were allowed in designated wilderness. We passed two camping areas, well protected within the pines that were spared by fire. We saw a camping couple at the first, still enjoying the hammocks they had deployed amid the pines. The 2nd camping area had another overlook to explore. Following a bit of rock scrambling, we found a nice view of the west rim of the gorge.

The trail curls toward the center of the plateau from this point and becomes a nice stroll through young forest. There wasn’t any particular other destination for us, so it just became a matter of when to turn back, as eventually the trail winds tortuously down into Chimney Gap. We were quite surprised to come upon a marshy area with a small pond about 30 feet in diameter. It was quite scenic, with tall grasses around, and a clutch of colorful deciduous trees behind it. This seemed as good a place as any to turn around. If we missed the best overlook, or some other awesome sight by not going far enough, perhaps Lori Beth from Hiking the High Country can give me a swift kick in the behind.

On the way back we stopped at what I thought was the best overlook. The campers from before were up and about now and packing their gear away. Being a Meanderthal, I boldly asked if it would be okay to interrupt their solitude and walk to the overlook through their campsite. They were extremely gracious, even joking that they didn’t own the wilderness. I’m really glad we stopped. This was the best and closest view of the giant massifs to the north up gorge. We also happened to catch a trio of buzzards floating high above on the wind currents checking to see if we old farts might be a meal. Joe Miller in his 100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina thinks this might be one of the best views in all of NC, and it is certainly right up there. Stunning!

We thanked the campers again on the way out and headed back south. We stopped one more time at all the overlooks to get some more pictures and marveled for the umpteenth time how majestic and awesome Linville Gorge is. It happens every time I go. Maybe one day I will move closer so it isn’t a two hour drive. On the way down the sun was higher in the sky, so we weren’t looking directly into it at Lake James like we were on the way up. The afternoon sun seemed to make the foliage even brighter and more colorful than before. While the fires left ugly scars on the mountain that will last for decades, they also enabled views that didn’t exist before when there was a forest canopy. I think an even trade.

I have yet to have a bad experience in the Linville Gorge Wilderness. The scenery and atmosphere are awe-inspiring whether hiking along the ridges and cliffs on the east rim or dropping down into the gorge for whitewater river adventures from the west. Shortoff Mountain is no exception. It is a wonderful, and short hike, enabling us to take our time and really enjoy the grand vistas. This trail sure is a whole lot easier than wandering through Chimney Gap from the north to get there. My special thanks to Lori Beth de Hertogh for turning me on to this quick and sweet shortcut to Shortoff Mountain.

For additional tips, information, and useful links, please visit the following: Tips on Linville Gorge

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Formal protection of the Linville Gorge began in 1952, when the land was purchased with funds donated by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. When the Wilderness Act was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Johnson in 1964, the Linville Gorge Wilderness became one of the first formally designated Wilderness areas of the new National Wilderness Preservation System. Wonderful news for future generations, as this wilderness that covers more than 12,000 acres will remain in the same pristine condition for centuries to come. The area is filled with trails that wind through thickets of mountain laurel and descend into Linville Gorge, one of the most rugged and scenic gorges in the east. It is fully 2,000 feet from the gorge’s rim to the Linville River below. This hike occurred on October 21, 2010 beginning at 8:30AM and ending about 2:00PM. The plan was to climb Sitting Bear Mountain on the east rim in the north gorge, then drive south on FR 210 to the Tablerock area and take the Shortoff Trail through The Chimneys and on to the North Carolina Wall and The Amphitheater.

View Sitting Bear Mountain and Shortoff Trail, Linville Gorge Wilderness in a larger map

It’s nearly a 2 1/2 hour drive from our homes to the Linville Gorge, so we got a very early start on this day. We arrived at the Sitting Bear Mountain trailhead at about 8:30AM. The trail to the summit is not long, it’s only about a mile round trip, but the last half of the climb is some of the steepest terrain I have ever hiked on. Hands were required on this dirt trail. On this particular day we were also faced with a steady 25 mph wind with gusts at 40. The summit of Sitting Bear is a very exposed rock outcrop with a several hundred foot drop on the gorge side, so that wind definitely got our attention. But the view south down gorge is stupendous. You can see each of the mountains on the east rim lined up; Hawksbill, Table Rock, and Shortoff, with the Chimneys in between. There is also a beautiful view north of Pisgah National Forest, and the west rim across the gorge.

On the way back down, we took a little diversion on the Devil’s Hole Trail. It heads down into the gorge and we wanted to see how steep is was for a potential future hike. We went about 1/4 mile down, then came back up.

It is approximately three miles on FR 210 south to the connecting road to Table Rock, then another 0.7 mile up the very steep, but partially paved, Tablerock Road. There is a nice picnic and parking area at the top of the road, and trailheads to Table Rock Mountain (another very nice hike in itself) and down gorge on the Shortoff Trail (also part of the Mountains to the Sea Trail).

The first thing I noticed on the Shortoff Trail is that it is a very narrow ridge with steep drops on both sides, and boy was it windy.
It’s about 15-20 minutes to a series of bluffs where we could get right on the edge, like Polaroid Point, and see the Linville River way below, and view the two Tablerock Mountains behind us. There is a deep drop in the trail, then scrambling up and over rock, and squeezing through slots to get to the area known as The Chimneys. This is an extremely popular area with experienced rock and rope climbers. On the day we were there, they were conducting a climbing school for college students. The wind was making just about everyone balk at scaling 40′ to the top. I couldn’t blame them.

It had been recommended to us, by someone who had been on this trail before, that we look for the side-trail to the North Carolina Wall and The Amphitheater. Supposedly there was a cairn of white quartz setup on the right side of the trail about 10 minutes past The Chimneys that marked access to these features. We were told if the Shortoff Trail starts descending steeply into Chimney Gap that we have gone too far. Well, we found the cairn and started down the side of the gorge. This trail descended quite steeply too.

The recommendation we received was spot on. It was very much worth it to hike down to the NC Wall and Amphitheater. The rock is sheer and there are great views into the gorge, as well as long distance views of the south and north gorge. The photo at the top of this post of Linville River and Shortoff Mountain was take from here. We stopped for lunch at this spot and stayed for probably 45 minutes because it was quite magnificent. Too bad it was so windy. We really had to be careful when we got near cliff edges. The trail down to the Wall and Amphitheater was not real well trodden, so we had a short bit of trouble getting back up the right way, but eventually we made our way back to the Shortoff Trail. We hiked a little bit further south, just to the edge when the trail begins plunging into Chimney Gap, then turned around for our return. When we went back by The Chimneys, those cautious, inexperienced college rope climbers were still doing more talking than climbing.

Best HikeIt took us 5 1/2 hours on this day, but we stopped a lot to take in the scenery, and enjoy the day. Linville Gorge is a fabulous place. I’ve been on hikes from the west rim down into the gorge on the Babel Tower Trail, and to the summits of Hawksbill and Tablerock Mountains, where there are stunning views of the river a couple thousand feet below. If I didn’t live so far away, I am positive I would hike in the gorge a lot more frequently that I do. There are two dozen maintained trails in the Wilderness area, some with very strenuous hiking. Because the area is designated wilderness, there are only trailhead markers, no other signs or blazes inside the wilderness. So topo maps and a compass will be handy. Linville Gorge also is a haven for kayakers and fishing enthusiasts. I rate Linville Gorge Wilderness as a best hike.

For additional tips, information, and useful links, please visit the following: Tips on Linville Gorge

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.