Catawba Falls Trailhead

One of my mine and my husband's favorite hikes in WNC. The trail is beautiful, well maintained, and the waterfalls are gorgeous. Just to note, since it's reopening, the trail now includes 500+ stairs, so be prepared, but the views are worth it.

The falls trail on the right at the parking lot has a very beautiful hike up to the falls. The trail has some good elevation gain and will wind you. Remains of an old damn is about a mile in and is a very beautiful area. At the lower falls there are stairs that go up beside the falls. The stairs are brutal to the top, but well worth the views. Both set of falls are beautiful and there are other smaller cascades as well such as the ones at the old dam. The ridge trail is nice and wide and less traveled than the main waterfall trail. However, it looks like it will get muddy when wet. The trail can be done as a loop or as an in and out.

Awesome trail up the falls! We did the loop and the stairs before the ridge and i think that's better then the ridge first. Simply because the ridge trail is a steady incline for about 2 miles on a trail that is not flat. Atleast as of now anyways. However you go, the falls are beautiful!

Moderate hike on Catawba Falls River trail to base of falls with one rocky stream crossing that will give you trepidation when wet or higher water flow. Best view is from base. You can proceed to climb 560 stair steps to reach continuation of trail above falls and proceed to descend on the Catawba Falls Ridge trail Steps were covered in leaves ad it is November, need to be mindful of slip risk. Legs will feel it the next day for sure. Again, best view of Falls is from base. Midway up stairs is great view of mountains on the horizon. Really enjoyed our hike

Great walk/hike to waterfalls. Scenic, does have quite a few steps at the tower area, but there are benches to sit n rest on.