Toms Creek Falls — a waterfall in McDowell County, North Carolina — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Pisgah National Forest. It sits roughly 11.5 km (7.1 mi) NNW of Marion.
Toms Creek Falls is a waterfall in the Pisgah National Forest in McDowell County, North Carolina, near the town of Marion.From the Wikipedia article “Toms Creek Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Toms Creek Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:13 AM | 60° ENE | 8:48 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 45m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Toms Creek Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 6:11 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 4:37 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:35 PM – 4:15 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:50 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:53 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:53 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.42 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 70 | 72 | 79 | 81 | 88 | 101 | 100 | 98 | 94 | 92 | 80 | 72 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 5 | 21 | 32 | 42 | 49 | 47 | 35 | 24 | 9 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this waterfall
- A 3-stop ND filter lets you use slow shutter speeds even when the light is bright.
- Shoot a vertical and a horizontal frame; tall falls often work better in portrait orientation.
- Use 1/4 to 1 second for a silky look; 1/500 s or faster freezes individual drops.
- A circular polarizer cuts glare on wet rocks and leaves and deepens greens — rotate it while watching the rocks, not the sky.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, 3–6 stop ND filter, Lens cloth, Waterproof footwear. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Toms Creek Falls, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
WaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
Mountain PassWaterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Carolina Hemlocks Rec Area13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Black Mountain Campground14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Briar Bottom Group Campground14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Curtis Creek Campground15.5 km (9.7 mi)
- Curtis Creek Campground (Nc)16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Toms Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Toms Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Toms Creek Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Toms Creek Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Toms Creek Falls?
How far is Toms Creek Falls from Marion?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.