The turnoff for the Linville Falls Picnic Area is near Mile Post 316.5, just a few hundred yards south and on the opposite side of the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Linville Falls Campground and Visitor Center. When you first turn off the Parkway and before you even enter into the picnic area, you will find a parking lot identified as the Linville River Parking Area. There are no picnic tables here, but you can take a 500-foot trail to the river. To get to the picnic area, stay right and drive past the river parking lot.
Compared to other picnic areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Linville Falls Picnic Area is one of the more accessible due to the level terrain. Tables are located in three different sections, each with its own modern restroom. Two sections are along short loops that branch off the main picnic area road, while the third is at the end of the road where it forms a loop. All sections have common parking areas, and you must carry your supplies to the tables. Most tables are within a short walking distance from the parking lot. Grills are available (charcoal only) but not always one at each table or group of tables. All tables are taken on a first come, first served basis. The picnic area is typically open year-round, but be sure to get the current schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the Parkway.
The first section of the Linville Falls Picnic Area branches off to the left along its own little loop road. This is the least inviting of the three sections. There are a few tables along the Linville River, but most are either in the wooded field in the middle of the loop road or in the woods nowhere near the river. Those within the loop are nice, but some on the outside of the loop are overgrown with weeds as if part of the Lost City of Picnic Tables. The few tables that are along the river don’t have the best views. The riverbank in this area is much more overgrown than farther down the road.
Picnic table with a river view at the first section of Linville Falls Picnic Area on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Picnic tables located inside the first loop of the Linville Falls Picnic Area on the Blue Ridge Parkway
The second section is also situated along a loop road that branches off to the left. This area is much more open and has the best views of the river. This would be the place I would choose for my picnic.
The second section of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Linville Falls Picnic Area is a little more open and sunny that other sections
The Linville Falls Picnic Area road ends in a loop. There is a covered pavilion and other tables within the loop, as well as some in the woods on the outside of the loop. There are also a few right along the Linville River at the start of the loop.
A covered pavilion is located at the end of the road through the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Linville Falls Picnic Area
Picnic tables at the end of the end of the road through the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Linville Falls Picnic Area
Next Stop South | Next Stop North | Picnic Areas
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Last updated on November 25, 2023