Definitely not a tourist spot because it's located behind private property. Multiple of signs that…read moresay no trespassing, yet the rope was down and there was fresh tire marks on the gravel before I got there. It's about a 0.6 mile drive up a very gravel, windy road to the dam. Only one car can fit the road so once you drive up to the dam, you have to carefully reverse your car to make a save U-turn. This place hasn't been taken care of in years. The trees are so high and leafy that you can't get a clear view of the dam. You can definitely hear it and feel the mist. It was honestly worth the drive for me, coming from Orlando. We don't get much dams or don't have any dams at all. I hope this place gets taken care of soon. It's too beautiful to pass up, but also so dangerous to risk driving up the gravel. The neighbors will definitely eye your car when driving to the dam. A beautiful sight to see though with the farm land and mountains.

CASCADE LAKE DAM FALLS is probably one of the most amazing dam overflows you may ever witness…read more Without a doubt there are far larger and more impressive dam overflows around the country and the world... but for a small lake dam in the back woods of North Carolina, it is TRULY SPECTACULAR!!! One of the things that makes it so outstanding is the natural setting it is located. Part of the dam uses the natural cliff surrounding it, giving it a little character when the waterflow is high or low. PRO TIP - There is a sign posted saying no trespassing near one of the two goat trails to the top of the dam from the road, so you might want to think twice about climbing down. However, if you do there IS a metal rope to help with the steepness of the trail on the right. Just know the dam is easily photographed from the road without illegally trespassing, although I don't quite understand how it is trespassing when you can literally kayak to the dam from Hooker Falls! [ THE LAKE ] The dam is said to have been built more than 100 years ago and the surrounding property has been owned and managed by the same family for most of that time. A battle over the will & testament of Charles Pickelsimer has left the lake, dam and even a campground in peril. Some websites say the dam is in need of inspection, but nothing has been done as the court battle raged on between Pickelsimer's children whom contested parts of the will. Charlie's father is said to have built the dam as well as started an electric and telephone company. You can still see an old wooden tube now damaged and decayed, but once upon a time it send massive amounts of water downstream to a mid-1900's hydro-power plant. [ THINGS TO KNOW ] Total Hiking Distance: 0 miles (roadside) Difficulty: Easy to see from the right spot on the road Creek Crossings: NO Elevation Gain: n/a Waterfall Height: 40-50 feet approx. Access to top of falls: YES (but may be considered trespassing) Access to base of falls: NO Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: NO RESTROOMS: NO PARKING: YES (room for about 2 cars along road) [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] CASCADE LAKE is where all the water from nearby Hooker, High and Triple Falls flows to become impounded by CASCADE LAKE DAM. It inevitably continuing its journey down Little River and eventually joins the massive French Broad River that flows through the heart of Asheville! From there it makes it to the great Tennessee River and butterflies kisses the Northwestern tip of Georgia before eventually releasing into the Mighty Mississippi and then Gulf of New Mexico. Just a fun little geography journey for those of you who wonder about the "Eastern Continental Divide" signs scattered throughout the area. All the water that falls on the east side of the divide flows toward the Atlantic Ocean while all the water on the western side of the divide flows toward the Gulf of New Mexico. 2021 / 49

Located at the border, this marker points out one of the landmarks that helped point out where…read moreNorth Carolina and South Carolina meet. It is on the side of the road with the "Welcome to..." signs in sight. The marker reads, "The Block House Early landmark, western terminus of the 1772 boundary survey between N.C. and S.C. Stood 1/2 mile east." This is marker number O-38 and there is more information online, " As early as 1750, the Block House site stood as a prominent landmark along the North Carolina - South Carolina line, although technically 300 feet within South Carolina. In 1756, the house itself was constructed as a trading post and soon thereafter was modified into a fortification by local settlers during the French and Indian War. Twenty years later, militia Captain Thomas Howard reportedly used the building as a staging ground for an attack on the Cherokee." There is space to pull over and view the marker and to visit the Block House itself. [Review 20006 overall - 3447 in North Carolina - 981 of 2023.]

Very nice place. You'll see chickens, goats, and even friendly cat here. Friendly and polite staff…read more Definitely worth taking a tour of the house. Very interesting!

Nice historic property, informative self tour of the property. Chickens and goats! You can go visit…read morethe lady goats and brush and pet them. Pretty nice place with friendly volunteers to give you the details of the historic property. All the lovely goats are descendants of Mrs Sandbergs Goats!!!

My family and I spent the weekend in Hendersonville NC and decided to explore Carl's Sandburg Home…read more Carl Sandburg Home-located in Flat Rock North Carolina-offeres an educational lessons for all ages. My family decided to take a tour of the house, to our surprise there was no charge for the tour. Our tour guide, a sweet elderly lady, was fantastic, it was like I was a part of Carl Sandburg's family. The house is well preserved bringing you back to the 1800s. I gained an abundant amount of knowledge during the tour, it was roughly two hours. After the guided tour was over we stamped our Passport book, because the site is a national park. Don't forget your passport books! If you have younger children, don't be cautious about bringing them. You can also go on the actual site of Carl Sandburg's wife's goat farm. I had so much fun petting and brushing the goats. They were so friendly and calm. After our day filled with history and playful goats, my family decided to walk some of the trails, located on the property. The trails are well mapped out and easy to follow, which my family enjoyed. Also, your pets are welcome to join you on the trails. During our visits we were greeted with friendly staff members, who were eager to answer your questions. The grounds and bathroom were clean, and you could tell the grounds had regular maintenance. To my surprise Carl Sandburg's Home and surrounding grounds are accessible to all: youth, adults, and elderly. Offering ample parking including Handicap spots. In addition, the grounds were mostly flat, and there is a shuttle that runs if you are unable to walk through the grounds. If you have a free day during the week or on the weekend, I would recommend checking out Carl Sandburg's Home.

How in the world have I not reviewed the Carl Sandburg Home National Historical Park yet. I've come…read moreto just go to the park and typically head over there before performance at the Flat Rock Playhouse. I even leave a note on my windshield as parking for the national Park isn't allowed there on show days. Tours of the home can be done through reservations but the number on a tour are limited. You can still enjoy the park without a reservation though. The park is a good place to walk especially if you like hills. It is a a hike to get to the house but being in nature and enjoying the scenery is part of the experience. If you didn't get a reservation to tour the house you can view it on the outside as well as wander through the grounds and see the goats and chickens. Make sure to enjoy the beautiful views.

This marker near the center of Rutherfordton points out some financial history. Prior to the gold…read morestrike in California of 1849, North Carolina was the largest producer of gold in the nation. The marker reads, "Established 1831, four miles N., by Christopher Bechtler. Later stood at this point. Minted more than $2¼ million in gold. Closed about 1849." From 1803 to around 1848, North Carolina had about fifty active mines and was the country's top producer of gold. The majority of the state's gold was either employed in the arts or circulated under private stamps, avoiding the U.S. Mint. In 1831, metalworkers Christopher Bechtler and his family opened a private mint close to Rutherfordton. They created the first $1 gold coin in the country using locally sourced and refined gold. Bechtler's coins gave the area vital financial support. The mint was run by his son Augustus and then his nephew after the elder Bechtler passed away in 1842. It closed in 1849 after producing over $2.25 million worth of currency. This is marker number O-16 and it was erected in 2002 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. [Review 676 of 2025 - 4156 in North Carolina - 24237 overall]

Quaint town. Expensive boutique shops. Very faith based community…read more It has a very Main Street USA feel to it. In my opinion, not a lot of great restaurants, so they need to work on that. However McFarlane's bakery is amazing! Asheville is not far, so you can always enjoy the Biltmore and the other attractions in that area. There are better restaurants in that area, but they are usually more crowded and can be expensive also.

Downtown Hendersonville is a great downtown to spend some time in. Paid parking lots are available…read morein different area, and there are some free places to park. The first thing you will notice downtown is the bears. They are all over the place and each is so unique. The bears are auctioned off each fall to provide money to charities. It is an easy downtown to walk around with plenty of crosswalks and benches to rest and watch your surroundings. Downtown has numerous restaurants; shops; museums; art galleries to keep you busy. Festivals appear to be held throughout the year as well. An antique show was occurring while I was downtown. I liked the setup that Main Street was closed but the side streets were still open to traffic.

We came in and the receptionist greet us. Very friendly and professional. My son have to came in…read morefor his shots needed from school. I will recommend parents to bring their kids here. My son got some reward by the nurse for being brave. ( candy and stickers). Thank you!

Very convenient when you are in this area. They recently were flooded by Hurricane Helene. Closed…read moretemporarily for repairs from 3' of water. Dana that works there is very nice.