Tennessee is known for its rocks and rivers, so it should not be a surprise that we also have a ton of waterfalls as well. Waterfalls are some of the best natural beauties to enjoy especially if you already love the outdoors like my family.
Tennessee has over 500 plus waterfalls and you may already know about Ruby Falls as one of the best Tennessee waterfalls, there are many more waterfalls in Tennessee that you should check out too.
Whether you make a road trip to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and visit a few along the way or take a weekend to enjoy one, you’re sure to love one these 10 waterfalls near Nashville.
Tennessee State Parks is home to some our states most beautiful and spectacular waterfalls and swimming holes, and guided tours offer a unique adventure in our gorgeous state.
All of the waterfalls in Tennessee require hiking so you will be able take some Instagram worthy photos. Every corner of the state is unique and special in its own way, but the one thing that stands out the most about the eastern and middle portions of the state are the breathtaking waterfalls.
I’ve put together this list of 10 of the very best waterfall hikes in the state to get you started.
1. Cummins Falls
Location: Cookeville, Tennessee
Drive time from Nashville: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Cummins Falls is one of Tennessee’s most popular waterfalls. To get to Cummins Falls it’s not an easy hike so get ready to be completely out of breath. Make sure you’re wearing hiking shoes that can get wet and dirty and not your cute nike running shoes which will be ruined by the time you are done.
Most of the hike is walking through water so I can not express enough that you need to be safe. I promise seeing the water splash over the fall will make you forget about the hike it took to get to Cummins Falls.
Be prepared to jump right into in the swimming hole and forget all about your worries.
Before you visit Cummins Falls, please note:
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- The base of the waterfall is only accessible on fair-weather days.
- Cummins Falls is a natural area with inherent safety risks.
- The gorge is prone to flash flooding.
- Visiting the gorge is a very strenuous and physical activity.
- You should comply with the park’s safety instructions.
- We recommend that children 5 and under not go to the falls.
- Children under 12 must wear life vests at falls and be accompanied by an adult.
- Visiting the waterfall will require:
- Strenuous Hiking
- Swimming or wading through water
- Climbing Rocks
- Crossing Slippery Rocks
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2. Fall Creek Falls
Location: Spencer, Tennessee
Drive time from Nashville: 2 hours
Fall Creek is not a waterfall you can jump in, kick back and relax. The falls is a towering 256-foot plunge and is absolutely amazing.
Fall Creek Falls State Park is one of Tennessee’s largest and most visited state parks. The park encompasses more than 29,800 acres sprawled across the eastern top of the rugged Cumberland Plateau.
Laced with cascades, gorges, waterfalls, streams and lush stands of virgin hardwood timber, the park beckons those who enjoy nature at her finest.
Fall Creek Falls, at 256 feet, is one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern United States. Other waterfalls within the park include Piney Falls, Cane Creek Falls, and Cane Creek Cascades.
3. Grotto Falls
Grotto Falls is found along the Trillium Gap Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and is the only waterfall inside the park where you can actually go behind the falls.
This popular trek will likely be packed by mid-morning, so be sure to get an early start. The hike to Grotto Falls and back is only 2.6 miles, which makes it easily accessible for families, a new hiker, or anyone short on time.
If you add a trip up to Mount LeConte and then down the Rainbow Falls Trail past Rainbow Falls, you can get away from the crowd for a 14-mile hike filled with beauty and epic views.
Pets are not allowed on this trail. The only two trails in the park that allow pets are the Gatlinburg Trail near the Sugarlands Visitor Center and the Oconaluftee River Trail near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
4. Cane Creek Falls
Location: Pikeville, Tennessee
Drive time from Nashville: 2 hours
Talk about a gift from Mother Nature! Cane Creek Falls will blow you away. The best view you can get is from the bottom. Looking at the huge swimming hole and volume of water flowing down the rocks will leave you awestruck.
Yes, the waterfall itself is impressive, but the swimming hole is what makes it so fun on a summer day. It’s big enough to swim, even if the water’s cold.
The mist from the rushing falls and sunlight streaming through the trees on a clear day creates a mystical setting, and the sound is downright tranquil.
Falls Creek Falls and Cane Creek Falls is a 2.4 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Spencer, Tennessee that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate.
The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
NOTE: As of January 2020, suspension bridge across Cane Creek is under repair.
5. Twin Falls
Location: Rock Island, Tennessee
Drive time from Nashville: 1 hour, 20 minutes
You’ve gotta make a trip to Twin Falls this summer. Pack a towel and lunch, because you’ll want to stay for a full day of swimming, kayaking and hiking.
While most waterfalls flow over rocks, Twin Falls flows out of rocks. The water rushes from the crevices at a whopping height of 80 feet in two places, hence the name ‘Twin” Falls.
Twin Falls is not a natural waterfall. It is a byproduct of the damming of the Caney Fork River and the power house. The dam backed up the Caney Fork and Collins River.
The Collins flows into the Caney Fork about a mile upstream of Twin Falls, but at this point the two rivers are only 1000 feet apart. Water is diverted from the Collins to feed the power house along man made channels, but the water also found its own paths through the limestone to feed Twin Falls.
The water pours out of the gorge walls about 80 feet above the Caney Fork River, and about 40 feet below the top of the gorge.
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6. Greeter Falls
Location: Altamont, Tennessee
Drive time from Nashville: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Greeter Falls is a great pick for those in search of a short and safe journey. Not to mention, the scenery is stunning from start to finish. A lot of trails surround the falls, making the hiking distances optional.
What’s known as the Blue Hole is the charming swimming hole that’s perfectly deep enough for summer swimming!
Greeter Falls Loop and Greeter Trail is a 3.2 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Altamont, Tennessee that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate.
The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from March until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
7. Fern Branch Falls
Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Drive time from Nashville: 3 hour, 55 minutes
Fern Branch Falls is easy to miss, but the hike to the waterfall is absolutely fantastic. Access the waterfall by taking the Porters Creek Trail up the banks of Porters Creek, passing by an old farmstead, giant trees, moss covered boulders, a 20th century cemetery, and through a lush forest.
In the spring, the Porters Creek trail is one of the top spots for seeing blooming wildflowers, but honestly, it’s a wonderful place to escape into the mountains any time of year.
The main hike is 4 miles roundtrip.
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8. Laurel-Snow Falls
Location: Rhea County, Tennessee,
Drive time from Nashville: 3 hour, 55 minutes
The Laurel-Snow segment of the Cumberland Trail is a moderately strenuous hike along creeks and gorges, so plan to get your feet wet. Located just outside of the busy streets of Dayton, this tranquil area is a fantastic day trip or a wonderful spot for backcountry camping.
The hike out to Laurel Falls alone is about five miles roundtrip, or continue on to see Snow Falls for just under 10 miles roundtrip.
There are tons of photo opps along this trail—the old Richland coalmine, the Dayton Reservoir with its turquoise water, multiple cascades, and scenic overlooks of the gorges and the Cumberland Plateau.
10. Stinging Fork Falls
Location: Spring City, Tennessee,
Drive time from Nashville: 2 hour, 36 minutes
This hike on the Cumberland Trail is only two miles roundtrip, but is a lovely, moderate walk to a beautiful waterfall. The cove with the falls is stunning, so have your camera ready.
About half a mile in, take the spur trail out to the Indian Head Point Overlook for a view of the Stinging Fork Gorge. It will only add about .2 miles to your trip, and is worth the detour.
If you want a longer adventure, add on a hike to the nearby Piney Falls in Grandview, named one of the 10 Best Waterfalls Near Nashville. You’ll avoid the crowds that frequent some of the other trails, and add on a couple more miles to your day.
11. Great Falls
Location: Rock Island State Park,
Drive time from Nashville: 1 hour, 13 minutes
Great Falls is a large, horseshoe-shaped waterfall in Rock Island State Park. You’ll immediately see Great Falls from the overlook, but to truly experience this spot, take the steep, 0.5-mile Upstream Trail that leads down into the gorge.
You’ll find multiple waterfalls and walls of water dripping along the way, limestone paths, and unique rock formations. It’s fun to rock hop down in the gorge, but the area can flood very quickly.
If you hear the sirens, get out of the gorge immediately. There are also times when the gorge is closed to the public, so double check before you go.
Professional freestyle kayakers from around the world try to tame the whitewater under their paddles. Hiking and scenic overlooks can easily fill any afternoon.
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Sieve City all covered up but just Rumbling away…#rockislandrules #bigwater #greatfallstennessee
12. Margarette Falls
Location: Greeneville, Tennessee,
Drive time from Nashville: 4 hour, 00 minutes
Margarette Falls is a great summer hike thanks to several creek crossings that give you the opportunity to cool off on a hot day. Located in an area that was once a thriving logging community, it’s now a part of the Cherokee National Forest.
This 2.7-mile roundtrip hike will get your heart pumping, but it’s a walk in the woods that you won’t soon forget. The trail winds through through formations and around several smaller cascades on your way to the 60-foot tall fan-shaped waterfall.
With both free-falling and cascading water, the picture perfect falls is especially worth visiting after a good rain.To reach the trail head, take exit number 39 to Erwin/Jonesborough and turn onto State Route 81/107 west and stay on this for 6.5 miles.
Then you will turn left to stay on Route 107 and continue on for 16 more miles. Then you will take a left on Route 351 and drive 4.5 miles.
Then you will take another left on Greystone Road and continue 3.8 miles and then you will take a right on Shelton Mission Road. After 1.3 miles turn right into a quite large gravel parking lot. The trail head is located on the right side of the parking lot.
13. Burgess Falls
Location: Sparta, Tennessee
Drive time from Nashville: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy a visit to Burgess Falls, where guests can enjoy birdwatching and fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass.
But if you’re on the hunt for waterfalls, lace up your hiking boots, and take to the River Trail/Service Loop Road, which takes hikers past four breathtaking waterfalls. Beware, though, that the hike to the bottom of the falls is a strenuous one.
All hiking within the park ranges from moderate to very strenuous, so plan accordingly!Located on the Falling Water River, this day-use park is noted for its natural beauty and four waterfalls that cascade down from over 250 feet in elevation.
The last of these falls is the most spectacular, plunging more than 130 feet into the gorge. The area was originally populated by Native Americans of the Cherokee, Creek and Chickasaw tribes.
These tribes used the land as a hunting ground until the late 19th century when a gristmill and sawmill began operating on the river
14. Carmac Falls
Location: Smithville, Tennessee,
Drive time from Nashville: 38 minutes
Located near Smithville, Tennessee, this waterfall’s hike is a bit steep to get to but the reward is ample.
It’s situated on the property of Evins Mill Resort, so call ahead and reserve the day picnic/hike package that’s listed for $25. It’s a great way to spend a romantic afternoon or family outing.
15. Conasauga Falls – Tellico Plains
Location: Tellico Plains, Tennessee,
Drive time from Nashville: 3 hour, 5 minutes
The 1.2-mile is a hike down to the falls but all uphill on your way out so careful footing is essential. It’s secluded with few people expected while hiking to the falls.
The trail is accessible April through October. Pack a lunch for an enjoyable Saturday afternoon activity.
Conasauga Falls Trail is a 1.3 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Tellico Plains, Tennessee that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate.
The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Conclusion of the Best Waterfalls Near Tennessee
Tennessee isn’t just home to all things country music. In fact, some of the most jaw-dropping waterfalls can be spotted throughout the Volunteer State’s rolling hills if you know where to look.
Hopefully, I have inspired you to get out and take a road trip to explore Tennessee waterfalls.
Experience southern hospitality, attractions, waterfalls, creeks, and local shopping that reflect true mountain living.
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ADDITIONAL ARTICLES FOR EXPLORING TENNESSEE
4 Ultimate Water Parks in Tennessee
5 Best Places For Fall Vacation
Do any of my top waterfalls near Nashville peak your curiosity? Is Tennessee on your summer bucket list? I would love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
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