Waterfall Hero Hikes: Lower Catawba Falls (Pisgah)

Lower Catawba Falls is a 30-foot waterfall on Catawba River in McDowell County, North Carolina. The waterfall is located in the Old Fort Area of Pisgah National Forest.

Hike Length: 1.8 miles
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Location: Old Fort Area (Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1+)
Crowds: Very High
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are slippery. There is no way to get to the base since the trail was rerouted.
Trailhead GPS: 35.61389,-82.22998
Waterfall GPS: 35.60670,-82.24309

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. Do not park anywhere else on the road.

Map:

Hike Description:

Pick up Catawba Falls River Trail to the right of the restrooms at the far end of the parking lot. In about 1/4 mile, the trail crosses Catawba River on a bridge next to the ruins of an old hydroelectric facility.

Across the bridge, the trail follows the river upstream. At 0.8 miles, Wildflower Trail splits to the right just after crossing Clover Patch Branch. Go right and the trail heads up along the river past the waterfall.

There is an old dam at the top of the falls. The trail continues another 1/4 mile to the much larger Catawba Falls.

In the past, a steep scramble path led down to the base of the waterfall. Since the trail was rerouted, its no longer possible to get down here. I think there was a landslide. It might be possible to backtrack and get in the river and walk up to it, but probably best to save energy for the bigger waterfalls upstream.