Water Clarity – 6+
Natural Quality – 8
Difficulty – easy
Perception – Weekday
Cascade Lake is a little known yet convenient lake for many flat-water paddlers in the Asheville/Brevard area of Western North Carolina, it is located 14 miles from Hendersonville on the fringe of The DuPont Forest – (directions). DuPont Forest offers many activities such as horse, hiking, and biking trails, plus waterfalls more spectacular than that of Hooker’s.
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I have paddled this small lake a number of times (@ 2 miles in length), it’s especially nice in the winter time for its peaceful setting, water clarity, and of course the convenience of simply paddling.
Trout Waters, Hooker Falls
On this date I put in at Hooker Falls (named after an old Grist Mill Owner rather than a profession), putting in here requires a portage of about 1/4 mile, a natural area with the mountain stream flowing alongside, I have heard that for five bucks you can put in at the Cascade Lake Camp Ground but for me the portage is easier than the complicated drive there.
There is a video on Youtube of folks going over the 14′ falls in whitewater kayaks…
Once in the water I wasted little time heading downstream………..
and kept finding more of what I came here for, peaceful paddlin.
About halfway down the lake is the only human habitation on the lake, a campground – the rest of the shoreline is heavily wooded and natural. On many occasions the stealth of kayaking allows one to slip up on wildlife which I like, the “wild-life” surrounding campsites can sometimes be amusing also…
A little further down the lake is a restricted area just before the Dam, an early 1940′s effort for hydro-electrical power. There is a dirt road (Cascade Lake Rd.) that skirts the lake and it is possible to view the falls from the road – you may even notice the long forgotten wooden conduit that once carried the water a few miles downstream to the old power plant.
These are a few pictures from Cascade Road last fall, it’s pretty a pretty impressive gorge below the dam.
On the return is a cove with a cement shore line, leading to an even older foundation of some sort – I even spotted the ‘lil Dipper.
Not sure the history of this foundation, but it appears to have been another old mill of some type.
But back to paddlin…
How about a dinosaur spine?
There were some foraging deer and in this one marsh area there was also an old beaverdam with signs of recent activity.
It was a very relaxing and peaceful morning paddle, tranquility at an ez pace, that’s the nice thing about Cascade – its a small lake with very limited access – few really know about the lake part of it.
But then back at Hooker falls it was a different story, as I rounded the corner I was reminded that it was Friday and the Falls were alive with people – folks having fun and cooling in the August heat.
So after sitting in the mist of the falls for a bit, I parked the yak and plunged in with them…… ‘fresh!’
It was all good.
Cascade Lake was a simple paddle – the entire lake can be seen in three hours or less if time is a factor for you, if not – stay the day – enjoy the natural setting anytime of year.
