Lower Cascades is a

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

in North Central

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, located in Hanging Rock State Park in

Stokes County Stokes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,520. Its county seat is Danbury. Stokes County is included in the Winston-Salem, N.C., Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ...

History

The falls was first seen by Europeans when German naturalist Lewis David von Schweinitz discovered it, and was originally named Schweinitz Falls (or Cascades).Carolina Waterfalls Update Site
/ref>

Geology

The waterway is Cascades Creek, which flows through Hanging Rock State Park. The falls has an overhanging bluff and a large plunge pool at the base.

Visiting the Falls

The falls are open to the public and are accessible beginning at a parking area on the side of Hall Road. Visitors may take a moderate-difficulty 0.3-mile (.5 km) trail to the falls. The trail used to be extremely difficult at the end with a dangerous cliff scramble, but has been made much easier by the addition of a set of stairs to the plunge pool.

Nearby Falls

Hanging Rock State Park hosts 4 other waterfalls: * Tory's Falls * Upper Cascades * Window Falls * Hidden Falls

External links

North Carolina Waterfalls - Lower and Upper Cascades

References

{{reflist Protected areas of Stokes County, North Carolina Waterfalls of North Carolina Waterfalls of Stokes County, North Carolina