Wiseman’s View in the Linville Gorge Wilderness provides visitors a panoramic experience from a pinnacle more than 1,400 feet above the gorge floor. The 4 mile stretch of gravel, rocky, sometimes-rutted road could leave you bottomed out, depending on how well-maintained you find it after heavy rain or snow. The view once you get there, though, is otherworldly. Photography by JC Garcia
Wiseman’s View is Worth the Effort for Panoramic Views of the Gorge
Getting to Wiseman’s View may not require a lot of walking but it still requires a fair bit of time and commitment, it could require a lot from your vehicle if the effects of recent rain or snow haven’t been tended by road crews.
The nearly 12,000-acre Linville Gorge Wilderness enjoys natural protection against development, logging and invasive species of deer (which our friend Joey Henson appreciates) because of the gorge’s distinctly rugged terrain. The federal protections don’t hurt either.
The place has captured the imaginations of mystics and adventurers for centuries and has been a draw for tourists to North Carolina for more than 100 years. From the Wiseman’s View Overlook you get a birds-eye view of its geology and geography and of prominences such as Table Rock and Hawksbill Mountain.
