McGalliard Falls is a 30-foot tiered waterfall on McGalliard Creek in Burke County, North Carolina, in McGalliard Falls Park, a town park in Valdese. A short, easy walk from the picnic shelter leads to an overlook, and a reconstructed gristmill stands beside the falls.
The falls
McGalliard Creek slides over a broad face of bedrock in two tiers of horsetails and lands in a plunge pool. Lidar data indicates the drop is about 30 feet, though older surveys and county records listed 40 feet.
Getting there
The park belongs to the Town of Valdese and is run by its recreation department; the address is 1529 Falls Road, reached from Church Street north of downtown Valdese. The overlook behind the picnic shelter is reached by a short, easy walk. Posted hours list the park as open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., or until dark. A closed or locked gate means the park is shut.
When to go
Restrooms are open from April to October. The park also has picnic facilities, a shelter that can be reserved for gatherings and a volleyball court. Best-flow months are not documented.
On site
Besides the overlook, visitors can walk around to the mill on the far bank and make their way down toward the base. Swimming is not allowed anywhere in the park. Alcohol, tobacco and vaping are prohibited. The park grounds are pet-friendly and wheelchair accessible.
History and name
Fred Meytre built a gristmill at the falls in 1906. A flood in 1916 carried off its waterwheel, which was replaced with a turbine, and the mill ground grain until 1941, when Meytre was too old to run it. The town reconstructed the mill when it created the park in 1982.
Nearby
Little River Falls is about 11.2 miles away, High Shoals Falls about 12.4 miles and Pheasant Creek Falls about 15.1 miles.
Distances are straight-line.