Landsford Canal lies along the banks of the Catawba River in the South Carolina Piedmont, where the region’s fall line creates elevation changes that produce shoals and rapids. In the 19th century, merchants bypassed these unnavigable shoals by using a system of canals built along the Catawba and Wateree rivers. The historic ruins of the canal built at Land's Ford, including culverts, locks, and stone bridges, can still be seen here. The area is also a place of natural beauty, with one of the world’s largest populations of rocky shoal spider lilies in the Catawba River and a variety of birds, including nesting bald eagles.