Waterfall Hero Hikes: Old Fort (Pisgah)

The Old Fort Area is the furthest southwest portion of the Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest surrounding the town of Old Fort in McDowell County. This area includes national forest lands north and south of I-40. The area features the Old Fort Picnic Area, several miles of hiking trails, Kitsuma Peak, and the spectacular Catawba Falls. A growing network of mountain bike trails is being established as well.

Map:

Trails:

Catawba Falls Ridge Trail:

Length: 2.1 miles
Blaze: Purple
Difficulty: Moderate
Users: Hiking only

Catawba Ridge Trail leaves from behind the restrooms at the parking area and follows a road steeply up Allison Ridge and down to Upper Catawba Falls.

Catawba Falls River Trail:

Length: 1.1 miles
Blaze: Yellow
Difficulty: Easy
Users: Hiking only

Catawba Falls River Trail starts from the end of the parking lot and follows the original trail along Catawba River upstream to the waterfall.

Catawba Falls Stairs:

Length: 0.3 miles
Blaze: Blue
Difficulty: Strenuous
Users: Hiking only

The Stairs lead between Catawba Falls and Upper Falls with 580 steps up. There is an observation tower with nice views.

Catawba Falls Wildflower Trail:

Length: 0.25 miles
Blaze: Red
Difficulty: Easy
Users: Hiking only

The wildflower trail splits from the river trail near Lower Catawba Falls and makes a short loop.

Kitsuma Peak Trail (#205):

Length: 0.5 miles
Blaze: None
Difficulty: Difficult
Users: Hiking and Biking

Kitsuma Peak Trail is a half-mile trail that leads from the Kitsuma Peak parking area up to the summit of its namesake. The trail runs parallel to I-40 for about 0.2 miles then begins a grueling climb up the mountain, gaining 400 vertical feet in less than half a mile. Some of the upper switchbacks have nice views. The trail ends near the summit of Kitsuma Peak at the intersection with Youngs Ridge Trail (#206).

Oak Hollow Trail:

Length: 0.9 miles

Blaze: Blue

Difficulty: Intermediate

Users: Hiking and Biking

Oak Hollow Trail splits from FR-4030 (Jarrett Creek Road) at Salt Gap and runs along Mount Bergen then connects back up with the road.

Point Lookout Trail (#203):

Length: 3.6 miles
Blaze: None
Difficulty: Easy

Point Lookout Trail is a paved trail that follows the old route of US-70. Today, US-70 follows I-40 between Old Fort and Black Mountain. Along the trail is Point Lookout, a once-popular drive up viewing platform. In the early 1980s, vehicle traffic was blocked as US-70 had been re-routed into I-40 corridor. The route re-opened as a greenway trail in 2008 in partnership between the Forest Service and Department of Transportation. Note that there is no parking at either trailhead as both sides are private property. Park at the Old Fort Picnic Area or Kitsuma Peak parking to access the trail.

Rostan Trail:

Length: 4 miles

Blaze: Yellow

Difficulty: Moderate

Users: Hiking and Biking

Rostan Trail runs through private property on Camp Grier, but public access is allowed Labor Day through Memorial Day. It is closed during the summer. The trail runs from FR-4030 (Jarrett Creek Road) at Salt Gap to Fonta Flora Trail on the other side of the camp.

Salt Gap Connector:

Length: 0.5 miles

Blaze: Yellow

Difficulty: Intermediate

Users: Hiking and Biking

Salt Gap Connector connects the lower portion of FR-4030 (Jarrett Creek Road) back to the road up at Salt Gap and provides access to Oak Hollow and Rostan Trail.

Youngs Ridge Trail (#206):

Length: 3.5 miles
Blaze: Yellow
Difficulty: Difficult
Users: Hiking and Biking

Youngs Ridge Trail is a 3.5 mile trail that leads from the Old Fort Picnic Area up to the summit of Kitsuma Peak. The trail is quite steep, gaining about 1800 feet with most of it in the first 2 miles. The trail is open to both hiking and mountain biking so pay attention for other trail users. The trail ends near the summit of Kistuma Peak at the intersection with Kitsuma Peak Trail (#205).

Points of Interest:

Catawba Falls:

Catawba Falls is a beautiful 100-foot cascading waterfall on the upper reaches of Catawba River.

Kitsuma Peak:

Kitsuma Peak is a mountain at 3,195 feet above sea level that towers over I-40. The summit itself is forested so no views, but some cliffs to the north of the peak provide great views looking west.

Lower Catawba Falls:

Lower Catawba Falls is a 30-foot waterfall downstream of the bigger one.

Point Lookout:

Point Lookout was once a popular drive up viewing platform along US-70 between Old Fort and Black Mountain. When the road was re-routed to follow I-40, the former road transitioned to a greenway trail and is now Point Lookout Trail (#203). The overlook provides great views of the Swannanoa Creek valley towards Old Fort.