The Chimneys–Cathedral Falls, 8 sights is a 12-mile out-and-back in Linville Gorge Wilderness near Wisemans View, NC. The route passes Cathedral Falls and Mountains-to-Sea Viewpoint before reaching The Chimneys at the turnaround, 6 miles in. It climbs 3,295 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 90/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi1,896 – 3,612 ft · steepest grade: 19%12.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Conley Cove Trail 35.89022, -81.90636
Nearest town Wisemans View, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
The Chimneys–Cathedral Falls, 8 sights
12 mi · ▲ 3,295 ft · 5 hr 39 min
Elevation 1,895–3,611 ft
Out & Back · Linville Gorge Wilderness
Trailhead: Conley Cove Trail · 35.89022, -81.90636
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 85°F / low 70° · precip 18% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 7:03 AM · sunset 7:53 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Conley Cove Trail, heading E.
- 1.4 miBear left onto Linville Gorge Trail, heading N.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Spence Ridge Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftPass Cathedral Falls.
- 1.4 miTurn right, heading E.
- 150 ftBear right onto Table Rock Gap Trail, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail/ Table Rock Gap, heading SE.
- 1 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miPass Mountains-to-Sea Viewpoint.
- 0.9 miReach The Chimneys, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.9 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail/ Table Rock Gap, heading NW.
- 1 miTurn left onto Table Rock Gap Trail, heading NE.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Spence Ridge Trail, heading NE.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Linville Gorge Trail, heading W.
- 0.7 miBear right onto Conley Cove Trail, heading SE.
- 1.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
99% dirt1% gravel
Weather
OvercastTemperature 85°F70°
Precip18%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity71%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
85°70°
Sunrise 7:03 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:53 PM
Sat
87°70°
Sun
80°65°
78%
Mon
73°62°
73%
Tue
77°58°
Wed
85°60°
Thu
86°64°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.6 mi in (~156 min). Leave by 4:57 PM for the 7:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:33 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Conley Cove Trail Trailhead
- Cathedral Falls & Conley Cove Trail via Linville Gorge Trail 4.2 mi · ▲ 1,227 ft
- Cambric & Conley Cove Trail via Linville Gorge Trail 9.9 mi · ▲ 2,136 ft
- Table Rock Mountain–Cathedral Falls, 7 sights 10.2 mi · ▲ 3,158 ft
- Conley Cove Trail & Linville Gorge Trail 15.7 mi · ▲ 2,406 ft
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Hikes near Wisemans View, North Carolina