Catawba Falls, the largest waterfall in McDowell County and the headwaters of the Catawba River, is located just outside the town limits. In 2009, the N.C. Department of Transportation, local county and town governments, the United States Forest Service and the local trails association collaborated to arrange for a portion of Old Highway 70 to be reopened for bicycle and foot traffic. Point Lookout Trail is a popular paved trail ascending almost 1,000 feet through the Swannanoa Gap in just under 4 miles. Point Lookout was once a popular tourist stop for travelers driving west to Asheville and the Great Smoky Mountains.