3. Fall Creek Falls State Park
Fall Creek Falls State Park is located in the scenic Cumberland Plateau of Eastern Tennessee and is the place to visit if you’re a nature lover. The 30,000-acre park has everything for visitors seeking natural beauty. First, consider Fall Creek Falls, the 256-foot waterfall for which the park is named. In addition to this showpiece, there’s Piney Falls, Cane Creek Falls, Cane Creek Cascades, and a nature center to promote education. In a mostly wilderness setting, another asset is a 345-acre lake.
Hike and bike the trails; go boating; and fish for catfish, bluegill, and largemouth bass in Fall Creek Falls Lake. Golf at a course rated by Golf Digest as one of the best in America. Try out the canopy challenge aerial course if you’re feeling adventurous.
4. Burgess Falls State Park
On Falling Water River, Burgess Falls State Park is all about waterfalls–not just one but four cascades that cover 250 feet of elevation. Because the falls are the main attraction at this 274-acre day park, take your time on the 1.6-mile loop trail that is rated strenuous. You might find it fairly easy if you don’t mind lots of stairs. You’ll see smaller cascades first, building to the largest one that plunges 130 feet into a gorge.
Burgess Falls State Park was once occupied by Indigenous communities of the Cherokee and Chickasaw. A gristmill and sawmill are historic features of the park, which is located in the central part of Tennessee south of Cookeville.
Address: 4000 Burgess Falls Drive, Sparta, Tennessee
