Maden Stream is a stream about 30 km long flowing through a wooded valley between Sakarya's Karasu and Kocaali districts. Sources place it in either Karasu or Kocaali; the waterfall is in the Kurudere area of Karasu. It's about an hour from Akçakoca.
The stream takes its name from the mine (maden) a French company operated here in the late Ottoman period; lead, zinc and gold are said to have been extracted. The mine no longer operates, but the old tunnels and the mine road are still there.
There are two ways to the waterfall: the narrow, rough old mine road or the rocky streambed. The walk up the streambed takes about an hour and you should expect to get wet. Behind the waterfall is a weir thought to date from the Genoese. On the nature walks organised by Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality, the route is given as 4 km.
Before you go
- Wear waterproof, non-slip hiking shoes; bring a change of clothes.
- The stream can dry up in dry summers; ask whether the water is flowing before you go.
- Don't use the mine road with small children or large groups; it's narrow and rough.
- Don't enter the streambed right after a downpour; the water can rise fast.
