Apollo Creed Travels - The coolest online travel directory.

Toms Creek Falls in Marion, NC

Apollo got bored today and decided to head down to one of the closest waterfalls near Asheville. Toms Creek Falls is a super-neato place, but perhaps the best thing is just how easy it is to get to. Located right off highway 221 in Marion, its just a few minutes from the El Pueblito Mexican Restaurant, which by Apollo’s estimation, occupies more billboard square footage space than any other business in all of Marion and McDowell County. The food is ok, but Apollo just can’t figure out why Marion restaurants will serve wine, but not beer. Umm, yeah.

Apollo feels the mist from Toms Creek.

First-time visitors to Toms Creek Falls should have no trouble finding the waterfall. All the trails are wide and totally obvious. While it’s definitely a sweet waterfall (about sixty feet high), the REALLY cool part about it is the old flooded out and abandoned mica mine just around the corner from the falls. Apollo has made efforts to track down the origins and original date of this mine, but has run into some trouble. During Apollo’s visit, he came across a couple of Marion chicks, and one of them was kind enough to call her pawpaw for details. See, pawpaw was an old local mica miner in Marion in his day, but he wasn’t familiar with the mine near Toms Creek Falls. Saddened that they weren’t able to help Apollo, the cute Marion chicks referred him to the Marion Visitors Center/Rest Area just down the road off 221. Apollo wasted no time heading to the visitors center.

Apollo explores the abandoned mica mine near Toms Creek Falls.

When Apollo cruised into the visitors center, his main man Rod at the Marion Chamber of Commerce told Apollo many juicy nuggets about the area, but was stumped when it came to the mica mine. He happily made several phone calls to local Marion oldtimers, but unfortunately, the mystery continues until Apollo can get in touch with a dude at the local Soil & Water Conservation office, one of who supposedly knows everything possible to know about Marion. Soon as Apollo knows, so will the rest of the world.

The old mica mine adit flooded.

Apollo really wants to thank the two chicks he bumped into for their help. He also wants to say hey to his new buddy Jesse and his my wife. Apollo would’ve loved to mention her name, but unfortunately, she was only referred to as ‘my wife’ during our two-hour conversation.

The mica mine is completely flooded.

One of the coolest things about old mines is that you can usually find traces of whatever they were mining. Always the rock hound, Apollo bagged a couple of big and fat chunks of mica, which is primarily used for making capacitors in radios and things like that. He also found a chunk of limestone which was loaded with mica and quartz. (And speaking of quartz… the nearby town of Spruce Pine is said to harness some of the purest quartz on the planet. Apollo cannot wait to make it out to Spruce Pine.)

Getting to Toms Creek Falls

Best waterfall in McDowell County

Apparently, anyone living in Marion is already well aware of Toms Creek Falls. For the rest of us, this waterfall is really easy to get to. From the Marion Wal Mart, head up 221 towards Linville for 5 or 6 miles and keep your eyes peeled for Huskins Branch Road, on the left just a little ways past the Woodlawn Roadside Park. It’s not the easiest to find, but as long as you start looking at the 5 mile mark you should see it. Follow this road down a little ways, maybe a couple of miles. The road changes to gravel, and then back to pavement. The obvious parking area is on the right after a bit. If you go over a one-lane narrow bridge, you’ve gone too far.

Apollo sunning at the base of Toms Creek Falls.

Since Apollo’s last visit to Toms Creek, the trail has had a few improvements. More gravel and nice little bridges to keep your feet dry. The trail is quite short–maybe a half mile, and is quite easy. There were several moms with loads of kids when Apollo was there, but since they were all crying and fussing, he’s not too sure how the hike is for kids. But it doesn’t seem too bad.

Other things to do in Marion, NC

Marion is a pretty neato little town with really nice people. Which is why Apollo has decided to put together a complete guidebook for all things Marion. Bookmark this page and stay tuned, gobs of Marion, NC info on the way.

Toms Creek Falls seems good for camping and relaxing.