Catawba & Lower Catawba Falls

Catawba Falls is a beautiful 100-foot waterfall near the headwaters of Catawba River in McDowell County. There is also a lower waterfall a short ways downstream.  The waterfalls are located in the Old Fort Area of Pisgah National Forest.

Hike Length: 2.2 mile
Estimated Time: 1 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Old Fort Area (Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (2)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are slippery.  Do not climb out on the rocks along the waterfall, many people have fallen to their deaths here.
Trailhead GPS: 35.61389,-82.22998
Waterfall GPS: 35.60406,-82.24533 (Catawba Falls), 35.60653,-82.24316 (Lower Catawba Falls)

Directions:

From I-40 in Old Fort, take exit 73. If coming from the west, at the end of the exit ramp, make a sharp right turn on Catawba River Road and follow for about 3 miles. If coming from the east, at the end of the exit ramp, turn left on Catawba Avenue and then a right on Catawba River Road after crossing under I-40. There is a bridge over Catawba River that leads to a Forest Service parking area for the waterfalls.

Map:

Hike Description:

Pick up the trail at the far end of the parking lot and cross Catawba River on a new footbridge the Forest Service installed.  The trail follows the river upstream eventually crossing Clover Patch Branch, which is an easy crossing at about 0.9 miles.  Just before the dam, a steep scramble path leads down to the river at the base of Lower Catawba Falls.  It's a nice waterfall with a small cave on river left, but is definitely overshadowed by the two larger waterfalls upstream.

Back on the trail, it passes an old dam that is just upstream of the lower falls.

After the dam, you'll have to cross Chestnut Branch, another easy crossing and then soon come out at the base of Catawba Falls.

It's a very nice waterfall, though foliage can obscure the view and there's no way to see the entire thing.  As it's very high on Catawba River, it can dry up to a trickle during a dry spell.

There is also an Upper Catawba Falls, but it is much more difficult to reach.

Blog Entries:

01-Sep-2018: Old Fort Hikes

03-Jul-2016: Old Fort Waterfalls

26-Oct-2014: Soco and Catawba Falls

27-May-2013: Catawba Falls

External Links:

US Forest Service website for Catawba Falls: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=81789