Mardis Mill Falls (also known as Graves Creek Falls) in Alabama near Oneonta off of Highway 231 is a scenic cascade fall just over 10 feet tall but very wide.
At a Glance
- 0.1 mi round trip
- Nice View
- Kids OK
Not for Dogs
Gear: Our favorite snacks and camera gear
Gallery: Check out the pictures here
Mardis Mill Falls - Trip Details
Mardis Mill Falls is conveniently situated within 45 minutes of Birmingham and is great for a day trip. Unfortunately, some reports are that it's become a party spot on the weekends and has the litter and glass bottles to show for it. So, be sure to wear some closed-toe shoes just in case you come across some broken glass when you visit.
Thankfully, the latest update is that it's clean again, so that's great to hear!
Regardless, don't let that scare you. This really is a beautiful waterfall and swimming hole.
After passing over the bridge, pull off the road to the right and make your way down to see the falls from there. The hike is short, so you'll have all the time you want to enjoy them before heading out.
Check out the video below to get a better idea of how to get down to the falls.
More Waterfalls around -
Mardis Mill Falls is only about 20 minutes east of Welti Falls near Cullman, 25 miles south of Thompson Falls and Lake Guntersville, and about 45 minutes west of Noccalula Falls in Gadsden. So, it's easy to hit several of these falls in a day if you want.
Should you want more options, you can check out our list of 10 of the best waterfalls you can visit on a day trip here.
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Mardis Mill Falls Map, Directions, and Resources
Directions
Get DirectionsParking
-GPS Coordinates
34.044508, -86.571484
Don't get lost in the woods!
12 Comments on “Mardis Mill Falls”
Thanks to the efforts lead by The friends of The Locust Fork River. flfr.org , monthly clean ups are organized and the area is staying much cleaner.
That’s great to hear! Thanks for the update!
About how deep is the swimming hole?
Regan the depth is between 10 and 12 feet.
I just went today and read earlier that it was littered, had broken glass and smelled. I didn’t find it littered and only saw a couple of pieces of broken glass. As far as the smell, it smells like sulfur. I did however enjoy it very much. My GPS took me down several single lane roads which was odd because it’s right off a Hwy but it was a very enjoyable ride and views were beautiful. I had been disappointed by attempting two other waterfalls that are advertised and aren’t accessible because they are on private land. I have had my knee replaced twice but still able to get to a view of the falls!
Thank you for the update, Martha! I’m glad to hear that it’s been cleaned up recently. I try to keep the posts updated as I hear status about access, so just let me know which of the other articles need to be updated.
I went with my family in the weekend and the smell was horrible, dirty, I saw pieces of bottle glass. Disgusting! We left 10 minutes later.
The gps coordinates given above (34.047667, -86.420833) appear to be incorrect as they correspond to a location approximately 8 miles east of the falls. A more correct location would be 34.044508, -86.571484.
Thanks for the update, Steven. I just updated the page!
I live close to Mardis Mill falls. I had a young male neighbor break his neck here and died from his injuries. My nephew fell from a cable that the kids used to ride out on and either ride to opposite side or drop into the water. My nephew fell on the rocks below and spent 3 months in intensive care at UAB. He was life flighted there. He did not break his neck but he successfully broke over half the bones in his body including his skull and his jaw bone shoving his teeth down his throat and breaking his eye socket . As a result he lost eye sight in that eye. This can be a very dangerous place and has always been a party place for teen agers and young adults. Please don’t promote this place without letting parents know that adult supervision is needed here or at least warning of the dangers associated with this place. It is a beautiful place but common sense and caution needs to be used hete.
Thanks for the warning, Judy!
Hm, the info is a bit odd. Mardis Mill Falls is closer to Blountsville than Oneonta and is reached easiest by Hwy 79. It has nothing to do with Lake Guntersville. The Falls is on Graves Creek which flows into the Locust Fork R and is part of the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River watershed. It is a popular setting for photographers. As a neighbor pointed out there have been quite a few very serious accidents there. Swinging off ropes from the high side in particular has cause some tragic ones. There may be another Alabama waterfall link with more info. Thanks to the Friends of the Locust Fork River (FLFR), the site is kept as clean as possible with volunteer clean-ups. FYI, if you can manage a weekday visit during the school year, you won’t run into many people. Enjoy ~ Leave only footprints!