Catawba Falls Trail

Trail Name Catawba Falls Trail Park Pisgah NF Nearest City Old Fort State North Carolina Trail Marking Yellow Blaze Trail Use/Features Difficulty Rating Easy Hiking Time 1.5 hrs0.0938 Days <br />90 Min <br /> Distance: round-trip/trail only 3 mi4.828 km <br /> / 1.4 mi2.253 km <br /> Trail Type In-and-Out Climb/Descent Elevation 495495 Feet <br />150.876 Meters <br /> / High Point 1,914 ft638 Yards <br />583.387 Meters <br /> Parking 35° 36' 48.00" N, 82° 13' 51.09" W Trailhead 35° 36' 48.00" N, 82° 13' 51.09" W Nearest Medical Old Fort, NC Trip Reports Click Here Loading map... {"type":"ROADMAP","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"270px","height":"180px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":8,"layers":[],"controls":["zoom"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":35.61333330000000074733179644681513309478759765625,"lon":-82.23085820000000012441887520253658294677734375,"icon":""}]} Show Large Map

Trail Overview

Short hike along an improved trail to 100-foot tall Catawba Falls

How to get there

From Johnson City, TN

1. Head south on I-26 towards Asheville.
2. Merge onto I-240 East/US-70 East.
3. Continue onto I-40 East toward Statesville.
4. Take Exit 73 (Old Fort).
5. From the exit ramp, make a sharp right turn onto Catawba River Road.
6. Follow the road to its end after three miles.
7. Park at new USFS lot.

Route Description

The falls are reached by a steady uphill walk following the Catawba River. The hike time is roughly half hour each way with another half hour to enjoy the waterfall.

Miles	Catawba Falls Hike	Elevation
0.00	Parking Area	1,594 feet
0.25	Bridge over Catawba River (built Summer 2016)
0.90	Rock hop over Clover Patch Branch
1.20	Former dam - and its waterfall
1.30	Road grade ends, trail rock hops across Chestnut Branch
1.40	Catawba Falls	1,914 feet
2.8	Back at Parking Area	1,594 feet

There is an upper falls, but recommendation is to not pursue until the USFS officially improves and extends the trail. Currently, it is a very dangerous climb which has resulted in injury and death. The latest (and there have been multiple of the years) occurred on June 25, 2017. Citizen-Times article/video

Typical Conditions

Well trodden dirt path with a pair of new (2016) bridges. Can be muddy after hard rain.

Fees, Permits, etc.

No permit or fee. Parking for roughly 30 vehicles, but can fill on really nice days. Bathrooms and bear-proof trash container at parking area.

After the Hike

Visit Kilwin's Chocolates, Fudge and Ice Cream (116 W State St, Black Mountain, NC) for refreshment afterwards.

Misc. Information

Located in Pisgah National Forest, Grandfather Ranger District. Contact number is (828)652-2144.

Until some better pictures are submitted, an excellent write-up is found at hikewnc.info

Maps

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