Near Old Fort,
McDowell County,
North Carolina
Hiking Trails:
Catawba Falls Trail
Total Time: 0:50 hour
Estimated Distance: 2.3 Miles
Pros: Nice waterfall in scenic area
Cons: Wide, double-track path, waterfall less impressive than perceived
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Continuing on my camping trip to North Carolina, we were staying at Catawba Falls Campground, a mere half-mile from the Catawba Falls Trailhead. I felt that if I was staying at this campground I had to visit the falls. In fact, our campsite was right on the site of the Catawba River.
I drove the short half-mile to the parking trailhead, and took the trail up, passing an old ruin, crossing the first bridge, and then passing the first waterfall coming out of the dam. I continued along to the second bridge, past the stream split, to the main waterfalls. I then turned around and went back the same route.
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| Pisgah National Forest Sign at the Parking Area |
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| Kiosk at the Trailhead |
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| Map of the Route at the Trailhead |
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| The First Bridge Across the Brook, at the Old Ruin |
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| Old Ruin. If Anyone knows what this was, Please Comment. |
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| Old Ruin and Bridge |
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| The First, Lower Falls |
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| Second Bridge Crossing the Brook |
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| Catawba Falls |
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| Catawba Falls Cascade |
According to https://ashevilletrails.com/pisgah-national-forest/catawba-falls-waterfall-hike-asheville/ ...In the early 1900s, the river’s turbulent flow was dammed by a small concrete dam and harnessed by a hydroelectric facility. The rustic remnants and ruins of the electrical plant still stand in the quiet, sun-dappled forest today, covered in moss and lichen, and slowly receding into the forest.
ReplyDeleteKozel, thank you for your reply! This information has been helpful!
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