Fall Creek Falls

Tennessee, thanks to it's soft limestone, Mountains in the east, and many creeks and streams, has quite a few waterfalls. Some of the falls are small, some are large, but there are few places in the state as nice as Fall Creek Falls State park.

This park has several falls. The main one is Fall Creek Falls, for which the park is named. It is created by a stream falling 250 feet into a boulder strewn bowl. There is a view point overlooking the falls, and a trail leads off to the left and winds down to the base of the falls. From the base of the falls, you can follow the creek to it's connection with a larger stream, and following this upstream, you will eventually reach Piney Falls. from there, you can climb out with the aid of a steel cable (the cable trail) and you will find yourself at the Nature Center parking lot, and Piney falls overlook. The Visitors Center is quaint, but not spectacular. There are restrooms here as well. Piney Falls is not as high as fall creek falls, and is a good deal wider. It falls into a large deep pool which some people swim in, and the water stays very very cold year round.

Behind the visitors center, you can choose to go down to the Cascade falls, or use a suspension bridge to cross above the top of the falls. The cascades are usually a great place to swim. The nature of the falls creates several natural slides, deep pools and shelves. If water is especially high swimming could be dangerous, as it is only a short distance to the drop of Piney Falls. If you choose to cross the suspension bridge, you can continue to follow the trail that ultimately leads around, crossing fall creek above the falls, and returns you to the fall creek overlook. In this manner, you can hike and see the best parts of the the park, but both areas are accessible by car as well. There are other trails in the park, but this route is by far my favorite.

The park offers the best of what Tennessee parks have to offer. Limestone cliffs deciduous forests, beautiful streams, waterfalls, groves of mountain laurel, quiet, and wildlife viewing opportunities. It is rare for a visitor to not see a few deer, turkeys, and red tailed hawks while at the park. There is also a lake and bike trails in the park. This is one of the natural highlights of the state, and it is well known and loved by the hiking locals. I give this location an A.