Fall Creek Falls State Park

We decided to go to the park to see the waterfalls in the beautiful snow. We just experienced a major snow fall and wanted to see how much they got in the mountains plus I wanted to see the waterfalls in the beautiful WHITE STUFF… lol !!
The roads were so clear up and down the mountain. The road crew in Van Buren Co. Tennessee did a wonderful job up to the park. The park itself wasn’t bad, but it was pretty slick in some areas and some areas like the scenic loop drive was closed but the overlooks were beautiful and open. We went to the main overlook at the South entrance and the two smaller falls at the North entrance near the visitors center. There were several people there looking as well, and two little kids made a couple snowmen that I had to take pics of. I asked the kids if they gave them a name and they shook their heads NO. so I have named them «Jack and Diane»…
We had a really nice time. It was about 25 degrees and there was glistening snow everywhere !!!

The falls you have to hike to is more impressive than falls creek falls itself, plus there’s a swinging bridge along the way

Fall Creek Falls sure is a mouthful to pronounce, but you’ll get used to it after you tell everyone you know (and their mother) about this amazing state park in Northeast Tennessee.
The park’s main feature is the waterfalls, including the namesake Fall Creek Falls. Some are easy to view such as the Cane Creek Falls and Cane Creek Cascades. Others are more difficult to reach, such as the base of Fall Creek Falls down a steep and curvy path.
If you’re not up for a hike, you can sit back and relax while fishing on the large lake. Or you can just check in to your room at the Inn, enjoy the view, and then grab something to eat from the rather fantastic restaurant (be sure to try their lunch buffet one day).
If you want a breath taking view of the local mountains, take a drive on the Gorge Scenic Drive Motor Nature Trail and stop at a small gravel parking area with a scenic overlook. A short trail to the right takes visitors out to Buzzard’s Roost, a perch atop some craggy boulders where the view never ends.
In all, this park has something to offer just about anyone who enjoys getting outside. It’s one of Tennessee’s best state parks, and one of the best in the Southeastern United States.

Nice hike! Beware: it’s slippery in spots and pretty rugged, but the view from the bottom is totally worth it!

Great trails, very challenging if you wish to go down to the base of the main falls. Be prepared with proper shoes, plenty of water, and a protein snack. My husband and I are are novice hikers, so the trail to the base of the falls was very strenuous. However, we did complete the hike. You can swim in the pool of water at the base because the falls were quite low, so you may want to have water shoes and appropriate clothing. VERY ROCKY TRAIL! I wouldn’t recommend this trail for very small children.
There is also a trail across a suspension bridge that is nice… Not nearly as difficult.

Beautiful area of Tennessee! I spent the night here and spent a few hours the next morning seeing everything I could see in short hikes from the parking lots — which is quite a lot actually. There are beautiful falls, multiple swinging bridges, peaceful lookouts, and plenty of short hikes to keep you busy and fill up your camera. The «lodge» is a little different looking, more like a bunker than a lovely lakeside lodge, but the rooms are nice with a gorgeous view of the lake. There is one restaurant that closes very early and seems to do mostly buffet food. This area of Tennessee is good for the scenery — not for the food!

On my way to Kentucky from Tennessee I saw the Fall Creek Falls sign and I decided to go and explored them. I love nature so, when I saw this falls the first thing I said was, «worth the 30 minute detour». I wish I had more time to explore the whole park. I snapped some photos. It was cloudy and drizzling but I didn’t mind it. I definitely recommend this park. (Checkout the photo I uploaded).

Another one of Tennessee’s hidden treasures. The first time I ever went to Fall Creek Falls was in 2009. Lived locally and had never been to any of the falls. I was amazed and breathless the first time I went there. Snap, snap, snap with the camera because I didn’t want to miss one thing and wanted memories to last a lifetime.
Maybe you remember «The Jungle Book» filmed in 1994. If so the waterfall scenes were filmed at Fall Creek Falls State Park.
For more information about the 1994 filming go to,

Husband and I went to Fall Creek Falls this weekend. Neither of us had been there in several years. We decided to go to the nature center. Let me just say… it was run down! It has really been let go. Outside the nature center, it was grown up with weeds. The landscaping looks horrible. The interior of the nature center was in need of some repairs. The water fall inside the center no longer works. The golf course still looks good, and the food at the Inn is still good. Looks like the park should focus on getting the nature center back in operation. Sad to see the park looking a little worn down. Was always a great place to visit! Hopefully someone will get things cleaned back up and going.

We took a day trip here from the Nashville area to see the falls and splash around in the river. We enjoyed ourselves, would have loved to stay longer and camp. I was impressed by the presence of Park Rangers (felt quite safe) and surprised by the views. I strongly suggest visiting for an overnight or even just a day to see the falls and walk around exploring.

Waterfalls & rainbows! Walking into peace, quiet and away from the world this state park is tranquil. Step into peace and off the beaten path! The rolling hills, waterfalls and nestled mountains are a dose of nature for the soul. There is camping, hiking, zip lines, horseback riding, boating and swimming. There is a huge recreational area and two pools. We prefer to stay at the inn, on the water, view included. The best part of the inn is the food. All you can eat three meals a day southern from scratch dining. Amazing food and hospitality with waterfront views! Pulled pork, white bean chili, cobbler, and steak. Bring a lot of cash and quarters for ping pong, games, and shuffle board. Enjoy your step back into time!

I have been here before but last time I couldn’t see it very good but this tile I saw it perfectly. It is a very beautiful waterfall. Very Nice park as Well we had a cook out and then hiked out to see it. Very nice

Just came for the waterfalls on a whim. Beautiful!
Love that they have overlooks or hiking.
The reason it’s not 5 is because the trail heads are difficult to spot and the park map is quite vague. But, gorgeous scenery and multiple spots to take it in. Scary roads (very slim), so pay attention!
Also, if you go at night or getting dark (in the summer) turn your lights off and watch the lightening bugs, magical.
And it’s free!
Last bit, you go to the falls, make it out by dark, they lock the gate :)

We didn’t get to enjoy the entire park but from the paths that we walked and the places we drove this place is really nice. The paths go from easy to somewhat hard for beginner hikers. the paths are well marked and kept clear of debris. The suspension bridge is a must walk though a bit scary if people don’t follow the no running and jumping rule. great for an afternoon of hiking and picnicking and would love to come back to see what the camp sites look like that they may have available.

Compared to other state parks I’ve visited, this place wasn’t that great. Driving on several miles of twisting roads, through picturesque country, heading for the entrance to the state park, I was expecting a nice place. The lodge itself was weird. It was an ugly, charmless building made of concrete, and cinder blocks. I got a ground floor room, thinking it would be easier, with fewer steps to climb. I was wrong, our room had 3 flights of stairs to reach the inn, and parking lot. We got to our room, and couldn’t unlock the door, the key wouldn’t work. The woman at the front desk sent a maintenance man with us to check it out. The room had a door with a small entrance in front of the door to the room. The first door was unlocked. It was like entering a dungeon. The room was cheerless, and drab, there was a constantly running dehumidifier, made it seem like staying in a stale, musty basement. The rooms have a coffee maker, but no fridge, or microwave. Beds were uncomfortable, they had those cheap polyester bedspreads, and the fitted sheets wouldn’t stay put. The TV got poor reception, WIFI and cell service are very spotty. Staring at the cinder block walls, made me feel like I was a prisoner in a correctional facility. The rooms are deep, and narrow, with natural light only coming in from the end of the room. There was a door leading out onto the patio, which overlooked a lake, which was nice.
The food in the dining room was subpar, it was buffet style, or order off a menu. The servers were nice, but there were few of them, and were overworked. The dining room reminded me of a nursing home, or hospital cafeteria.
The staff at the front desk were not friendly, or welcoming at all. When I asked for extra towels, they told me to bring back all the used towels, in exchange for new ones. I guess they do this to avoid people pilfering their towels, but still, they made me feel like a thief.
I wouldn’t stay here again, the dumpy, ugly lodge just didn’t match up with the beautiful surroundings of the park.

Over the Labor Day weekend, Gabe and I drove to this glorious oasis in TN. It was the highlight of our trip. I consider myself a sheltered bayou girl so I was rather amazed at the hills, rocks, creeks and waterfalls.
It was busy that weekend but not too crowded. It was hard to enjoy the sounds of nature with the voices of people that carried from every direction.
Warning: this hike is not for the weak of heart… literally. It’s a tough hike. At the time, I was gyming it at least twice a week. This was tough for me. I wouldn’t bring kids who like to complain of walking too far without wanting to be carried or held… like mine would have.
Discovery: there was this space between large rocks that felt like someone cranked up the A/​C. Great for when you’re sweating cause the humidity is so high.
Great place to hike and discover. Highly recommend.

The ladyfriend and I (she hates the term ladyfriend by the way) have a huge road trip with a lot of hiking planned for Thanksgiving week out west later this year. Since she really has never been on a real hike and it’s been a while for me, we planned a mini trip here this past weekend. (8÷31÷13)
We got here around noonish and drove around the park trying to find where the trails were. Finally after finding the information center, the friendly employees gave us a map of the trails. The maps are pretty terrible and confusing but after getting lost a few times we figured it out. We got on the Fall Creek Falls trail near the nature center and hiked the 1.2 miles to the falls. It’s pretty much all up hill but the trail is well marked and maintained. After about 15 minutes of sweating my balls off, huffing and puffing we made it to the viewing area of the falls. Imagine my surprise when an 80 year old geezer drives by me on a fucking hovaround!!! Where in the hell did he come from? (There is a parking lot with a paved sidewalk 500 ft from the damn thing). We took all the pics of the gorgeous falls then proceeded down to the bottom where no hovarounds can get! HAHA take that old timer!!! This part of the hike was even better! Absolutely gorgeous and a lot more challenging in terms of footing. I twisted my ankle at least 5 times but there’s no crying in hiking. At the bottom is a big pool that the falls feed into, perfect for swimming around or just sitting on a rock and enjoying the view.
This park has lots of camp grounds (im not sure of the cost), tons of swimming holes, a few waterfalls, miles of hiking trails, a nature center, golf course, and tons of other stuff. Entry into the park is free and so is the hiking and swimming. Great for the entire family. Fix the maps and it’s a 5 star park.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! The autumn colors magnify its beauty. There are some phenomenal views along the scenic road but hike some trails to see its majesty.

If there is one state park to visit in all Tennessee, it is Fall Creek Falls. Located between Spencer and Pikeville, TN on the edge of the Cumberland Plateau, this park is famed for its many waterfalls, including its namesake cascade with the single tallest free-​fall East of the Mississippi. At 81 km² the park is large enough for anyone interested in the outdoors to have a good time, yet at the same time it is also developed enough for those interested in the finer things in life to enjoy themselves without too much effort. Finally, it is a photographer’s paradise, with water and plenty of flora and fauna outside the main trails.
It takes some effort to visit Fall Creek Falls, located roughly 2.5 hours from both Knoxville and Nashville. From Nashville, the last 10 miles of road are narrow and winding, but it allows you the appreciate the sheer escarpment that is the Cumberland Plateau. The Nature Center at the park is not particularly interesting, but serves as a useful source of information for those visiting the first time. Right behind the visitor’s center is a path down to the large Cane Creek Cascades, which seems to be a popular swimming area and is fairly impressive itself.
The Woodland Trail connects the visitor center to the Fall Creek Falls Overlook and is very popular, by which I mean never take it on a sunny weekend or on holidays because you’ll feel like you’re in line for an amusement park. This is especially evident at the cable bridge swinging over Cane Creek, which is a fairly unstable bridge that gives very photogenic views of the Cascades-​or it would if you weren’t waiting in line and rushing to pass it. The bridge has a capacity for eight people, and 1. Tennesseans are quite overweight 2. people can’t regulate themselves. Hence I’ve seen dozens of people attempting to pass at once, creating huge traffic jams here.
Once the bridge is crossed, the path leisurely winds its way around creeks and forests until you reach the overlook. And there it is: Fall Creek emerging from the forested plateau to plunge 254 ft into the gorge below. A very steep 1-​mile long Base of Fall Creek Falls Trail to the left of the overlook leads to the pool below, where you are able to swim or scramble (with difficulty) right under the freezing waterfall.
A second enjoyable hike is the short Cable Trail, a very steep 40-​degree incline to the base of Cane Creek Falls. There is an anchored cable that helps facilitate descent and ascent. With some work you an scramble into a crevice right behind Rockhouse Creek Falls.
There are apparently also caves in this park, including one with one of the largest chambers in the country, though I have not seen or found any good information about them. When some of my friends attempted to find it, they ended up getting stuck in a mud pit.
There are many other impressive overlooks and waterfalls in the park, as well as a large convention center, with a lake where you can canoe around. There is even a golf course. The only thing lacking in this park is a restaurant, as it should be. Pack a lunch and picnic near one of the waterfalls or the lake. Camping and cabins are both available, though apparently they are usually reserved well in advance.
This park is definitely worth visiting.

Despite the shortness of my visit, I was able to see and do quite a bit. Advice I received: Don’t come here on a holiday weekend. My advice: Don’t come here on a holiday weekend unless you are riding a motorcycle. The parking and traffic was heavy, but if you ride, you can almost always find a place to squeeze in.
The main lodge is quite substantial and was much more than I expected. There are several buildings, along with a pool, walkways and beautiful views. The falls themselves are within hiking distance, and now is a great time to hike because the heat of summer has passed, hopefully until next year!
The main falls are impressive and again, bigger than I expected. I could see swimmers at the bottom jumping into the swimming hole at the bottom of the falls. I am positive that had I hiked down there, I would also be jumping into the cool refreshing water.
Besides the Park Inn, they have cabins, group lodges and campsites. Admission is free to the park! This park was on my to-​do list to visit and I am so glad I visited today!