Work is to begin May 2 on a 9- to 12-month project that will bring improvements to the Catawba Falls trail and viewing area, including a stairway to the upper falls and overlooks at the lower falls, a news release from National Forests in North Carolina says.
The 100-foot-tall Lower Catawba Falls, one of the prettiest wateralls in the state, is part of a Pisgah National Forest day-use area in Old Fort in McDowell County. It was obtained by the Forest Service in 2006, and between 2010 and December 2016, trailhead parking and restrooms were added, and one mile of trail was upgraded including the installation of two bridges at river crossings.
Currently, visitors must scramble over rocks or wade into the creek to get a full view of the lower falls.
- See our full profile of the Catawba Falls Recreation Area
The portion of the 2-mile trail to be upgraded (below) currently requires negotiating a boulder field with no clear path to reach Lower Catawba Falls.
Safe Access to Upper Catawba Falls
In the current project, improvements that include retaining walls, boardwalks, staircases and overlooks will begin at the second bridge on the trail and continue to the base of Lower Catawba Falls and along the creek to Upper Catawba Falls. A “dangerous user-created route” to the upper falls is to be replaced by stairs taking visitors to an overlook halfway up the falls. An increasing number of visitors ignore warnings and climb to Upper Catawba Falls, and many serious injuries and deaths have occurred on the current trail and at the upper falls, the Forest Service says.
The stairway “will provide a safe view of the upper falls and allow visitors to experience the spray of the waterfall. In addition, a 60-foot tower will be installed at the base of the cliff as an overlook that will be part of a future path to the upper falls,” the news release says.
At the base of the lower falls, boardwalks, platforms, and overlooks will improve access, while still allowing access to the creek for wading.
“This work will address critical safety needs and protect the headwaters of the Catawba River, while increasing accessibility for visitors,” Nicholas Larson, Grandfather District ranger, says in the news release. “We recognize that Catawba Falls is one of the most loved waterfalls on the Pisgah National Forest. We ask for folks’ patience as we make these critical improvements.”
The recreation area is to remain closed until spring of 2023. Entering the area may be punished with a fine of up to $500, the news release says.
The work at Catawba Falls is part of the larger Old Fort Trails Project, which will bring 42 miles of trail improvements to this area of Pisgah National Forest. Eventually, visitors will be able to climb the trail to an overlook at the base of the upper falls and loop back to the parking lot along a new trail on the south side of the Catawba River.
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