Toms Creek Falls is a tiered waterfall on Toms Creek in Pisgah National Forest, McDowell County, North Carolina, that drops about 120 feet in five closely grouped steps. It sits a few miles north of Marion, and a short, easy trail from Huskins Branch Road leads to it.
The falls
The falls are classed as a set of tiered horsetails, and lidar data puts the cumulative drop at roughly 120 feet; older surveys put it at 60 feet in three drops. The creek runs over several bedrock cascades before a near-vertical lower section that ends in a small scoop in the rock, with large amounts of mica embedded in the rock around the pool.
Getting there
From Marion, drivers go north on US 221 for about 7 miles, then left on Huskins Branch Road at the Woodlawn Motel for 1.3 miles to a parking area on the right with an information kiosk. The trail leaves the lot and crosses a small bridge over the creek, which replaced an old ford. The walk is 0.7 mile round trip with 72 feet of gain and is rated easy; the county's 2026 visitor guide gives 1 mile round trip. The parking area is unpaved, with no designated accessible spaces.
When to go
The falls are accessible year-round. February through November is the recommended season.
On site
Getting down to the base takes a short, moderately steep climb and scramble. The walk is well suited to younger children. Dogs are permitted on a leash.
History and name
The slopes below the falls were once mined for mica. NC Waterfalls places the mine on the river-right side just out of view, with concrete supports on the opposite bank that held a cable-and-pulley system that hauled ore across the creek to waiting trucks.
Nearby
Buck Creek Falls is about 4.1 miles away, Armstrong Creek Falls about 4.4 miles and Crabtree Falls, on Big Crabtree Creek, about 5.7 miles. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes north of the falls near Milepost 316.
Distances are straight-line.