Route: Linville Gorge Hiking Circuit (NC)

Phil Phelan posted the route:

The Linville Gorge Hiking Circuit is a conglomerate of 21 individual trails that - when linked - circles the Linville Gorge Wilderness in its' entirety. Widely accepted as the toughest hiking circuit east of the Rocky Mountains, this grand titan extends 33.93 miles in length and sports a mammoth 16,605' of elevation change. 


Beginning at the Pine Gap parking lot, the trails that make-up the Linville Gorge Hiking Circuit are listed here in order from start to finish. Marion Wright Trail, Erwin's View Trail, Plunge Basin Trail, Plunge Basin Trail / Red North Trail Connector Trail, Red North Trail, Brushy Ridge Trail, Red South Trail, Devil's Cliff Trail, Jonas Ridge Trail, Hawksbill Trail, Ledge Trail, Ledge Trail / Spence Ridge Trail Connector Trail, Spence Ridge Trail, Spence Ridge Trail / Table Rock Gap Trail Connector Trail, Table Rock Gap Trail, Table Rock Summit Trail, Shortoff Mountain Trail, Mountains-To-Sea Trail, Lead Mine Trail, Linville Gorge Trail, and Pine Gap Trail.


The Linville Gorge Hiking Circuit guidebook can be found at http://www.lgmaps.org/?page_id=28

A shorter (about 22 mile) variation is also offered here, which forms more or less a southern loop of the whole Hiking Circuit described above.  We'll call it the  the "Linville Gorge Wilderness Loop" after the listing here. https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7011516/linville-gorge-wilderness-loop