Rough Ridge via Tanawha Trail is a 3.6 mile out and back trail located near Linville, North Carolina that offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking.
April 17, 2021There are shorter ways to get to rough ridge. This trail is absolutely beautiful. Definitely moderate, lots of ups and downs. We actually road walked part of the way back to save our knees from some of the steps. Trail was well kept and easy to follow. No problem for my wife and I, as well as our active 30lb pup. Some easy scrambles and really unique alpine-like scenery through portions. A view of the blue ridge that you can’t get anywhere else. There were 2 other cars for this trail, while the entire rough ridge overlook parking lot was full, so this is certainly how you avoid those crowds.
March 30, 2021March 30, 2021This hike is awesome!! Lots of ups and downs with roots and rocks along the way. The view at the end is definitely worth it! If lincove visitor center is closed, you can park at stacked rock parking area and catch the tanawha trail to Lincove and then continue on. It adds about 0.7 miles each way. Our hike from this parking spot was a total of 6.1 miles.
March 27, 2021March 27, 2021March 12, 2021Out and back with great views and I would reccomend it.
February 24, 2021Pros - fun trail that winds through large rock formations and has cool tree growth and several bridge crossings over lovely creeks. Cons - a lot of up and down and up and down, and a lot of high/wide steps over boulders and up/down stairs. Fun for younger kids but painful for those of us with aging knees. ;-) We hiked two other trails this week with roughly same distance but this one took much longer due to the above factors. Personally I would put this on the higher end of moderate. If the visitor center entrance is gated (like it was for us), park across the street but still start at the parking lot for the trail head (which is a paved path that runs below the highway).
February 23, 2021Beautiful view with a pretty easy going trail. Not too many steep inclines.
January 3, 2021Gorgeous trail. Loved the rock steps and the view was incredible. Clocked in at 3.9 miles.
November 28, 2020Great trail. I agree with other users, definitely 5 miles if not a bit more. We took our 6 and 4 y.o. and they did pretty good. Lots of variation, climbing over rocks, forest setting and beautiful view from the top. Not overly crowded for a Saturday but had to wait to take a pic from the peak. The only annoyance was walking so close to the parkway...lots of traffic noise for most of the hike. The incline wasn't as bad as I expected after reading other reviews. Completely doable!
November 26, 2020Great trail with amazing views!
November 13, 2020A beautiful and varied trail that passes under the majestic Linn Cove viaduct, through streams and trees, and over a bridge past a waterfall to bring you to stunning views on top of Rough Ridge. We didn’t realize when we hiked this that there is a shorter route to Rough Ridge via a ~1 mile boardwalk, but don’t regret going the long way.
November 9, 2020Steep but short on the way up. Impressive views. Can get crowded.
November 7, 2020Fun trail with a great reward at the end. Lots of rocks and tree roots. Not necessarily the most serene since you can hear the cars on the Parkway and the hikers in front of us were blasting tunes.
November 7, 2020The trail is nice the only downside is the trail is along the highway so you hear cars a lot.
November 7, 2020Incredible views and photo spots, sunsets here are amazing. I’d say this trail is great for newer hikers to get a feel for more rough terrain. The trail is rocky and irregular in many spots. In the fall it can often be muddy and slippery, footwear accordingly.
November 6, 2020awesome!
November 1, 2020nice trail beautiful vistas
October 26, 2020So much fun! A bit strenuous with all the rock scrambling. Also it was pretty muddy in some places, but we succeeded even with my 4, 6 and 9 year old children. We even saw a bear. It was being chased by a hunting dog.
October 26, 2020Hiked up at dawn in the dark to watch the sunrise. Trail was muddy in various parts but it was doable. I am 58 yrs old and I had the dregs of bronchitis when I went but I managed. The view at the top was worth the trek up in the dark.
October 25, 2020The best way to get to Ridge Rock! Just wow! Also remember to take left from Linn Cove Center and not to the right of the Tanahwa Trail!
