After nearly 20 years of planning, negotiation, and construction, the whitewater area in Great Falls, South Carolina is finally opening to the public. The Long Bypass Reach — a two-mile whitewater channel along the Catawba River featuring Class II and III rapids — will welcome its first paddlers on March 18, 2023, along with the new Nitrolee Access Area off U.S. 21. The opening marks one of the most significant milestones in the town's decades-long Nature Based Tourism Initiative.
The Nitrolee Access Area features 100 parking spaces, restroom facilities, and a short trail leading to the ruins of the historic nitrogen fertilizer plant built by J.B. Duke and William States Lee after the Great Falls Hydro Station opened in 1907. Interpretive boards with historic photos tell the story of this rare industrial process. The Short Bypass channel, offering more challenging Class III and IV rapids, will remain closed for additional construction, with an expected opening in May. Officials emphasize that both channels are strictly for experienced whitewater paddlers — these are serious rapids, not suitable for novices.
The whitewater opening arrives alongside another major milestone: South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism signing a lease agreement with Duke Energy to develop a state park on the islands of Cedar Creek Reservoir, known locally as Stumpy Pond. Over the next five years, Duke will construct a pedestrian bridge to Dearborn Island, install additional canoe and kayak launches near the Great Falls Reservoir and the old Mudcat Inn site, and build a fishing platform at the tailrace of Fishing Creek Dam. Great Falls is on the cusp of a new era.