North CarolinaNC Waterfalls

Overview of Kalakalaski Falls #1, #2, and #3.

Kalakalaski Falls was one of my early introductions to puzzling waterfall information. Nearly everything I read stated that the waterfall was a series of eighteen small falls downstream from Lake Sequoyah on Cullasaja River. The statement is still repeated today. A few other reports stated that Lake Sequoyah inundated the waterfall, a claim also repeated today. None of this is true.

I have no idea how one came up with “eighteen small falls.” There are three nice waterfalls and a bunch of cascades. Maybe somebody counted all the cascades and added them to the bigger guys, but even then, I don’t see how you could arrive at eighteen of them.

The inundation assertion is one I’ve seen at other lakes where it is believed that the dam partially or fully flooded a waterfall. But dams are built on top of waterfalls, not below. Anyone doubting this needed only to drive by Lake Sequoyah in 2015 when the town drained the lake for water intake and dam repairs.

The descriptions of Kalakalaski Falls often say that the eighteen falls lie between Lake Sequoyah and the old powerhouse near Bridal Veil Falls, a stretch of river spanning approximately half a mile. Given that the three significant waterfalls are spread far apart and the access for each is not the same, it would be cumbersome to treat them as a single waterfall. So, I have decided to assign number designations and to provide a separate listing for each one.

I mean this only for clarity. I have not heard of any other names for these waterfalls besides Kalakalaski or a variation of that name, and as far as I’m concerned, that name should apply to all of them. The #1, #2, #3 designations are meant only to let you know which part of Kalakalaski Falls I’m describing.

Immediately below the dam is Kalakalaski Falls #1. Kalakalaski Falls #2 and Kalakalaski Falls #3 are a good distance downstream, near the old powerhouse. For directions and more info on the latter two, visit their respective pages.

Kalakalaski Falls #1 consists of two principle drops and two smaller drops below them. A plunge pool is below the two main drops. Although the waterfall is directly below Lake Sequoyah Dam and you can easily walk down to it, viewing the falls from any vantage point other than above is difficult and potentially dangerous.

Read the Cullasaja River section for an overview of the river and its waterfalls, including a list of landmarks with mile markers. You can find it by clicking the Little Tennessee River Basin button on the Rivers page.