One of the most famous sights on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the Linn Cove Viaduct. Two trails along the Parkway give you beautiful views of this engineering marvel – Rough Ridge Trail and Linn Cove Viaduct Trail – plus the surrounding mountains and Pisgah National Forest.
Rough Ridge Trail
Rough Ridge starts from the parking area at Milepost 302.8. Don’t count on your GPS for the parking area – mine thought it was past the pull-off and I had to drive to the next one to turn around.
The actual parking area only has around 10 to 15 spaces which were full by 9:30 a.m. When I came back down from my hike at 10:30, people had already parallel parked behind the spaces and several were parked just off the road as well.
While most photos of this trail show the wooden boardwalk, don’t be misled. The boardwalk is a small section so be prepared for a climb. The total elevation gain for the trail is 480 feet.
The Trail
I consider this 1.2-mile round trip trail on the strenuous side. Most of the route is at an incline, climbing slanted rock steps and stepping over large roots. Another hiker joked to me that it should be called the ‘Twist Your Ankle Trail’ and I agree.
Start at the end of the parking area. You’ll reach an intersection with the Tanawha Trail. Turn left and follow the path toward Linn Cove. Cross the bridge over a small creek. Then climb through the woodlands.
A third of a mile uphill from the parking area, you will hit the boardwalk. Here there are stunning views of the Linn Cove Viaduct, Grandfather Mountain, and the rest of the Blue Ridge. I was lucky enough to hit the start of autumn colors at the end of September!
The ecosystem around the trail is full of rare and fragile plant life, so please don’t go off trail and damage it.
Continue for another 0.3-miles to reach the Rough Ridge summit (4,773 feet in elevation). Here there are several large boulders (circled in the image below). Anchored cables along the edge help those brave enough to climb to the top.
I had the area to myself for a bit and smiled watching a dark-eyed junco bopping around.
Looking for a longer hike? You can connect to the Tanawha Trail just below the summit. Tanawha is a Cherokee word meaning fabulous hawk or eagle. This 13.5-mile trail extends from Beacon Heights (milepost 305.5) to Julian Price Memorial Park (milepost 297). It is also part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail across North Carolina.
Linn Cove Viaduct
History
Because conventional road construction methods would have destroyed Linn Cove’s massive boulder field and severely altered the mountain’s profile, engineers had to design another way.
Linn Cove Viaduct was the first bridge of its kind in the United States. Its S-shape is made of 153 concrete segments (only one of which is straight). The quarter-mile deck is supported by 7 piers. This design preserves the rugged terrain and forest.
The Viaduct (milepost 304) was the last section of the Parkway to be completed, opening to the public in 1987.
Linn Cove Viaduct Overlook Trail
Start at the Linn Cove Visitor Center (milepost 304.4). The center was closed when I visited but it has a large parking area. At the end of the parking lot (opposite the center), the one-mile round trip trail starts on a paved path. This 1/3-mile paved section leads hikers under the viaduct to an overlook, with views of the floating marvel.
From here, climb the steps up to the dirt path of Tanawha Trail. Continue for just over 1/3-mile more. You’ll pass lots of caves and big boulders. I had to scramble over large rocks. A long wooden bridge hits around the midway point.
Look for a Tanawha Trail post sign to your left. Here, take the spur trail to your right. This path is a downhill jaunt toward the road. Two large boulders provide a seat for views and photographs of the initial turn.
Along the trail I spied more dark-eyed juncos and an eastern chipmunk.
The two trails above can be combined via the Tanawha Trail.
Yonahlossee Overlook
Another viewpoint for the viaduct starts at the Yonahlossee Overlook (milepost 303.9). From this small pull-off, a narrow dirt path hugs the Parkway heading toward the viaduct. Here you can take in views of the clever curve from ground level.
