The Tar Heel State is a wonderland of fun things to do and new places to discover. Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina is a unique little somewhat natural wonder. It’s a gravity powered man made geyser built in 1885 that’s still operational today. Originally, this (sort of) natural wonder was built for two reasons.
The first was to honor approximately 100 men who lost their lives building a particularly snarly section of railroad in treacherous terrain in the mountains.
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And secondly, once the railroad was complete, a new grand hotel — called the Round Knob Lodge — was built and this fountain was part of the hotel.
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It could be seen by the train passengers several times as their train climbed its way up the mountain on 13 miles of track.
Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center
But there is another little known fact about this attraction, called Andrews Geyser.
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The attraction was built by laying two miles of six-inch cast iron pipe running downhill to the site, and funneling out at the fountain end through a one-half inch opening.
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A pond located on the property of the Inn on Mill Creek in Old Fort, NC is the source of the water.
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From the inn’s pond, the water falls approximately 500 feet in elevation before reaching the geyser and its tiny opening, creating the pressure that drives the fountain.
Facebook/Inn on Mill Creek
Want to see this natural phenomenon in person? It’s tremendous and definitely worth the trip! But you may want to keep in mind that during the dry season the fountain may not be operational due to water source limitations. Plan you visit accordingly.
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Andrews Geyser is located at 2111 Mill Creek Rd., Old Fort, NC 28762.
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Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center
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Facebook/Inn on Mill Creek
For more fun things to do and places to see in the Tar Heel State, here’s The Ultimate Bucket List For Anyone In North Carolina Who Loves Waterfalls.
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