Catawba Falls

We loved this hike! The trail was surprisingly flat and wide for a long time. It's exciting that you are walking alongside the river nearly the entire time! So cool! You can hear, see, and even touch the water at almost any point. There are many spots along the way that give you better views of the water and old ruins of buildings. It is definitely an interesting walk. It does get progressively tougher and steeper as you climb. You will have to cross the water a few times on stepping stones, but this gives you a great angle to see the rapids and smaller falls. You will reach a few larger falls. There is one by a dam and then another HUGE fall higher up. You'll know it when you get there. You can't even see the top because of the trees, but it's BEAUTIFUL! There is plenty of room to get in and play around or just observe. At that point, the trail becomes SUPER steep. We don't actually know where it goes to because it didn't look entirely safe. We don't recommend you try it either, but we promise that you will not be disappointed by this waterfall even if you don't keep going.

Located at the end of Catawba River Road, Old Fort, NC. The directions will seem really weird to you because you will cross over the off-ramp of I-40. It almost seems like you are driving the wrong way on the ramp. Make sure you're not actually on the ramp, but the road next to it.