This is a beautiful trail that leads to a 250 ft waterfall, with some easy hiking, some steep…read morefootsteps. Was easy to moderate for little kids and adults alike. The total hike is 30 mins (to and fro) and has nice marked trees for identification, streams, creeks and bridges. There is some beautiful foliage and trees along the way. There are two sites (start of waterfall and midway) each making for a beautiful photo opportunity.

Paved, with packed gravel surface part of the way, then many steps to get to lower viewing area of…read morecascade falls. Some incline and decline (out and back trail).

Wonderful park with well marked trails Feels like a hike…read moremore than a walk which is awesome

The Photograph Club from Trilogy had scheduled a fall photo shot for today with the goal of taking…read morein Murray's Mill Historical Site and the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, both in the same area. While at the Bridge, I mentioned that I was also considering going over to Riverbend Park which was only about 20 additional minutes from where we were. A couple of the folks decided to join me. I've been here probably a half a dozen times but never checked in and left a review although I did post some photos. Our group leader was familiar with the Park because she had hiked the trails often but was not aware of the Dam for Lake Hickory which is just upstream. The other lady was aware of the Dam but did not realize that there was a Park just downstream. When you pull into the main parking lot, at the back side is a small road with a sign that says "Trailheads" to the right and Picnic Rest Rooms to the Left. Not obvious but if you take the Left Fork, you go down the hill to the River. At the bottom of the hill is another parking lot next to the Catawba River. When you first to into the lot, there is an observation deck that extends out into the edge of the Catawba River. Great view of Fall foliage from here. If you go back past the covered picnic shelter you end up at the Canoe Launch area. Another beautiful area. We missed it but they open up the dam on occasion for the Canoe's and Kayaker's to create whitewater. At that time. all the rocks you see in the photographs are submerged. A little past peak color but the maples with their shades of rea were still beautiful.

we had a wondrous time at Bakers Mountain (more like BAKED mountain - see photo). It was foggy but…read moreit was still a good hike. The leaves made it slick which made it more fun. Anyway we had a great time, saw a bird and a turtle!

Whoever said hiking was fun, they lied !!!…read more I would recommend this trail to everyone! Beginners trail, but might be hard because of rain. The trail was well marked so you won't get lost. Make sure you grab a map before you start. The bathroom was nice and clean! There are walking sticks available if you want to use one. At the top was a awesome view and a gazebo to rest. You could see various mountain tops from there. Through out the trail there are benches and picnic tables to rest at. So if you're in the area, stop bye and take a hike!!!!

This picture was taken by ourselves at Cooleemee Falls a few years ago, it was great!read more

Beautiful place....a beach right in your neighborhood. I love coming here for a peace of mindread more

This place was absolutely amazing I could bit believe how…read morebig it really is. The lake is really nice. It is pricy though. There were plenty of boats on the dock that were cool. The gas on the docks in 2024 is $5.99. I can't wait to come back and fish this area one day

This place is huge! And you can choose from a pretty long list of activities: Camping, hiking,…read morepicnicking, mountain biking, boating, etc etc. We only stopped in for a quick hike on the Lakeshore Trail, which I think only scratches the surface of this park. Nicely laid out, with good roads and clean and tidy pullouts with marked trails, but road signs could be a bit clearer. A beautiful spot - or at least what little we saw.

Beautiful hikes and mountains views. Nice picnic area with restrooms available. Several people…read morefishing or playing in the stream. Good place for families.

Amazing views!!!…read more Came here on a group hike and it did not disappoint! We did the 4 something mile loop from the upper parking lot to the waterfall and back to the parking lot. It is hard! The amount of incline is enough but going up the stairs after resting at the waterfall was dreadful. We survived! The views are OMG!!!!! Wow! Breathtaking at each lookout. The stone is so smooth it almost looks painted. It rained a little at one of our lookout stops and it was such a refreshing experience. Cellphone reception here is super limited and so I want to come back in hopes I'll be able to actually track my hike .

Spectacular views. Words do it no justice. Just a note, you better have a higher lift vehicle to…read moreget there. It's about 4 miles past Falls parking lot, it's gravel, rutty and pretty rough.

Gorgeous spot near Lineville, Table Rock, Grandfather, etc.! We took our engagement photos at…read moreWiseman's View on a beautiful September afternoon at sunset. It's the perfect spot for photos because... A) It's an easy stroll from the parking lot, i.e. you're not going to get hot and sweaty hiking to your photo shoot location. B) It's almost always 15-degrees cooler here than in Charlotte. Again, avoiding the whole hot and sweaty thing. C) The views are unrivaled. Sweeping from all angels, on a clear day you can see for miles and miles from one of the several outcrops/overlooks.

Fantastic wooden playground! My 2 year old loved it. It's all wooden or roped with the exception of…read morethe slides. Bridges, nets, rope climbs throughout! I reallllly appreciate how this playground is designed ie not having multiple cutouts at the very top (so I don't have to worry about my toddler falling). This playground reminds me of the ones I played on way back in the 90s. Lots of parking. Nature center on site. I will be back when in the area!

We were visiting from out of town and needed something for our little ones to do! This playground…read morewas AMAZING! Beautiful area and the playground is 10/10!

One of the tallest waterfall in NC. Route is not that long from parking lot so it is popular site…read more Park center consider the trail as difficult because of the stairs and rocks. It is a steep climb but thanks for the park rangers and contractors that build the trail, you can hike it with sneakers even when the ground is wet. You can't swim in the pools but the water is very clear and we should keep it that way At the viewing platform, there are trash everywhere like a Walmart parking lot. Nasty people can't keep the place clean. Water bottles, socks, and plenty of cookie wrappers . Probably same people who hike with Crocs or with a cup of coffee on hand.

Awesome water falls. It isn't for people with very bad knees because there's like 700 steeps and…read moresome of it is straight up!!

What a gorgeous park, even in the winter time…read more Since it's winter when I visited, I can't review all of the incredible summer time water sports but I know this park can get busy then. Winter was in incredible time to visit, easy parking, a chance to chat with the staff at the visitor center, and walk around. The lake is beautiful. I've heard that this area did get some hurricane/ storm damage but everything needed to drive around is up and running! Make a plan to visit next time you're nearby. It's about 1 hour drive from downtown Asheville.

This has the look of one of those parks formed around a dam. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for…read morehydroelectric power, but artificial lakes always feel like they're lacking a certain mystique. This park had an impressive visitor center and restrooms were open even after it closed, though neighboring water fountains were not functioning on a hot summer day. The trail I selected was rugged and had occasional waterside views, most notably on a footbridge that offered a mountain vista. Cell service was not great for me, and while I'd hoped to do a zoom meeting on the run I had to return to more urban areas. But if you actually want to get unplugged, the people on boats here appeared to be having a good time.