Twentymile Cascade

Twentymile Cascade is a 22-foot waterfall on Twentymile Creek in the park’s remote southwestern Fontana area. Water slides down slanting, mossy sandstone ledges into a boulder-filled creekbed. It’s a modest stop for anyone who likes watching a creek rather than expecting a dramatic plunge beside the road.

Park in one of the two areas near Twentymile Ranger Station on NC 28. The falls are reached on a broad gravel roadbed beside a mountain stream, then a short footpath. Plan on about 1¼ miles round trip. Occasional roots and rocks break up the smoother approach. A parking tag is required if your stop runs longer than 15 minutes. The nearest restrooms are near Deep Creek or outside the park, so make that stop before driving into this corner. Pets aren’t allowed on this trail.

The water spreads across tilted shelves instead of dropping in one clean sheet; moss darkens the sandstone, and boulders fill the creekbed below. For a photo, keep some ledges and the creek below the white water in frame so the stepped shape reads. At the junction, hikers can continue on Wolf Ridge toward the 7.6-mile Twentymile Loop; farther on, the trail gets narrower, muddier, and rockier.