About this spot
Catawba Falls is a roughly 100-foot multi-tier waterfall on the headwaters of the Catawba River near Old Fort, NC (about 20 minutes from Black Mountain), reached by an easy-to-moderate 3-mile round-trip trail through Pisgah National Forest that crosses a stream partway up. The upper drop, Upper Catawba Falls, is a 50-foot free-fall ending in a deep, clear pool that's a popular swimming spot, documented across hiking guides and short-form video alike. The hazard that matters: serious injuries and at least one fatality have occurred when visitors left the trail or climbed wet rock above the falls, so stay on the improved trail and out of the water right at the lip. A 2024 tropical storm stripped moss and vegetation from the rock face.
Safety first. Cliff jumping is inherently dangerous and can cause serious injury or death. Conditions — water depth, submerged hazards, and access — change constantly. CliffScout is community-sourced reference information, not a guarantee a spot is safe. Always assess the conditions yourself before jumping, and never jump where you're unsure. You assume all risk.