Deep Creek Waterfalls Loop

Deep Creek Waterfalls Loop is a 2.4-mile loop from the day-use parking area at the end of West Deep Creek Road, past Deep Creek Campground. It links Juney Whank Falls, Indian Creek Falls and Tom Branch Falls in one outing. Allow about two hours if you stop at each. The route combines a steep approach, a higher connector on Deep Creek Horse Trail, a short Indian Creek Falls spur that you retrace, and a creekside return. It gives you three waterfall stops without a long backcountry day, but it is not a flat stroll. This is the short waterfall circuit, not the separate roughly five-mile Deep Creek–Indian Creek Loop.

From the road-end parking, follow the short, steep path up to Juney Whank Falls. The opening climb is where much of the effort is concentrated; the route has stairs and occasional roots and rocks. A footbridge crosses the falls, putting you directly in front of the cascade. After crossing, continue about 300 feet to the junction; turn right, then left, onto Deep Creek Horse Trail. Carry a map and pay attention to those turns: going back down to parking here would skip the rest of the three-falls circuit.

Deep Creek Horse Trail brings you to Deep Creek Trail. Turn right and continue about 0.1 mile to Indian Creek Trail, then follow it 200 feet to Indian Creek Falls. This is a short out-and-back spur; return along the same path to Deep Creek Trail. Don’t continue farther on Indian Creek Trail or join the longer Deep Creek–Indian Creek Loop; those are different hikes. The higher connector makes this more than a level creek walk, so expect a climb in the middle before the route drops back toward Deep Creek.

After rejoining Deep Creek Trail, turn left toward the parking area. Tom Branch Falls is about half a mile from Indian Creek Falls on this return, where its water falls into Deep Creek. Benches near Tom Branch give you a place to pause after the climb. The three stops have different approaches: Juney Whank is the footbridge crossing, Indian Creek sits just up its short spur, and Tom Branch is passed on the creekside walk. At Juney Whank, the bridge and waterfall make the route’s clearest signature view; stay on the established path while you stop.

Use the day-use lot at the end of West Deep Creek Road beyond Deep Creek Campground. A parking tag is required for stays longer than 15 minutes. The nearest restrooms are at the campground, whose facilities vary by season. In summer, the lower creek area is also used for tubing, so this is a shared recreation area rather than a quiet backcountry approach. Pets are not allowed on this trail.