Catawba Falls Waterfall Hike & Lunch

Catawba Falls Social Hike + Creekside Lunch 💦🥾🍔

Saturday, October 3
10:00 AM to 1:30 PM

Our last social hike was such a blast that we’re doing it again, this time with a waterfall!

Join us for a beautiful fall morning at Catawba Falls, one of the Asheville area’s most popular waterfall hikes, followed by lunch together in Old Fort.

This is another fun, social hike. We’re not trying to set speed records or conquer a mountain before breakfast. 😂 We’ll hike at a comfortable pace, enjoy the scenery, talk, laugh, meet new people, and give everyone plenty of opportunities to mingle along the way.

💦 The Hike

We’ll meet at the Catawba Falls Trailhead and follow the trail alongside the Catawba River through a beautiful hardwood forest.

The trail follows an old wagon route and stays close to the river for much of the hike, so we’ll have the sound of rushing water and smaller cascades accompanying us along the way. There are also old stone ruins from the area’s early hydroelectric history tucked into the forest.

Our destination is the base of Catawba Falls, where a series of cascading waterfalls tumble down the mountainside and combine into a spectacular roughly 100-foot waterfall system.

We’ll take some time at the falls for pictures, conversation, and enjoying the view before heading back along the river.

We are NOT doing the full upper loop with its 580 stairs. You’re welcome. 😂

🥾 Distance: Approximately 3 miles round trip
🥾 Difficulty: Easy to moderate
🥾 Terrain: Forest trail with a gradual incline
🥾 Pace: Relaxed and social
🥾 Parking: Trailhead parking lot
🥾 Restrooms: Available at the trailhead

📍 Where We’re Meeting

Catawba Falls Trailhead
3074 Catawba River Road
Old Fort, NC 28762

Please arrive a few minutes early so we can gather everyone and start hiking around 10:00 AM.

Bring water, wear comfortable hiking shoes with good traction, and dress for the weather.

🍔 Then We Head to Lunch!

After the hike, we’ll drive into downtown Old Fort and continue the fun over lunch at Hillman Beer Old Fort.

Hillman is a relaxed, casual brewpub that’s practically made for post-hike gatherings. There’s plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, including a beautiful covered creekside deck where we can kick back and hang out.

Their full kitchen serves burgers, sandwiches, wings, salads, pub favorites and plenty of options whether you’re there for a beer, a non-alcoholic drink, or just a really good post-hike meal.

Hillman Beer Old Fort
78 Catawba Ave
Old Fort, NC 28762

Everyone will order and pay for their own lunch.

Come for the waterfall, stay for lunch, and spend a Saturday morning getting some fresh air, moving your body, meeting new people, and enjoying one of the prettiest spots near Asheville.

Fresh air + waterfalls + new friends + lunch.

That sounds like a pretty darn good Saturday to me. 💦🌲🥾