| Lower Cascades | |
| Location: | Hanging Rock State Park, Stokes County, North Carolina |
| Type: | Cascade |
| Height: | 350NaN0 |
| Number Drops: | 1 |
Lower Cascades is a waterfall in North Central North Carolina, located in Hanging Rock State Park in Stokes County.
The falls was first seen by Europeans when German naturalist Lewis David von Schweinitz discovered it, and was originally named Schweinitz Falls (or Cascades).[1]
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.
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.
Hanging Rock State Park hosts 4 other waterfalls: