Very cool place awesome hike. Dipping in the water on a hot day was amazing. All kinds of beautiful…read morenature and sounds. Brought a publix sub from florida to enjoy out here

Rock Island State Park has a strange layout but is jam-packed with interesting sites. If you stop…read morein the Visitor Center, they have maps and written directions on how to hit the highlights easily. You can view different falls, cascades, flow stones, and more from short distance strolls to overlooks, or delve deeper into the gorge for a closer view. Swimming is not permitted except in certain areas, so take notice, people have drowned here. Be careful when hiking and exploring the floor of the gorge as the dam can release water with limited warning. That being said, the Twin Falls and Great Falls are lovely, and the diverse landscape keeps the walk extremely interesting! Me and the dog did the Upstream and Downstream trails on the Twin Falls side, and the Gorge Trail on the Great Falls side, and while Dianne, they are steep and slippery, so wear proper shoes!

This was my favorite place in Tennessee ever! It's a beautiful twisty turny drive and the falls…read moreare not too far from the car. It is a steep downward walk then you must be able to walk over lots of rocks and back up to your car. You can go all around and under the waterfall and in the pool. It's shallow and perfect for kids. The rocks are slippery so have some water shoes. My mom and Auntie could only come down about 100 feet so they put their chairs on the steps and waited for us. Their is no bathroom around so use the restroom on the way. The cave is close to the falls and it feels like someone turned on the air conditioner. It is awesome on a hot summer day. But watch your steps carefully. The whole ground is full of boulders and loose rocks to step over and sometimes muddy soil. We finished our day driving to fall creek falls state park to see the views there.

This is a gem in eastern Tennessee owned by the state. It is not real easy to find and a little…read moredifficult to get to but the waterfall and spectacular cave is well worth the trip. You must park on the side of the road, go down the stairs travel a short distance to see the beautiful waterfall. Then just across is a cave. I tried walking inside but there are so many rocks piled up that it makes it very difficult to go very far. Lost Creek is one of the larger caves in Tennessee. This natural area is situated on the western flank of the Cumberland Plateau. With five entrances and seven miles of mapped passages, it makes for an adventurist day. This natural area is covered with diverse trees, wildflowers, ferns and mosses. Open to the public from sun up to sun down year round.

Quick excursion but still worth the stop! Short trek down a fairly easy path to a beautiful…read morewaterfall.

This is a beautiful place to visit and enjoy nature. One of Southeast Tennessee's hidden gems. The…read moreHike to the bottom is very strenuous, lots of slick rocks and steep inclines over rocks. All the work is well worth the hazards.

This was a beautiful park. The falls were spectacular. The hike was an easy one and didn't take…read morelong to get to the falls outlook. I'm almost 63 and had no problem. The trail to the bottom was closed unfortunately.

This is Burgess Falls, another state park located in Central Tennessee sitting 12 miles northwest…read moreof the town of Sparta, TN. There's a 3/4 of a mile out and back hike called the River Trail that leads to 4 different waterfall lookout points comprising Burgess Falls SP. Waterfall #1 - The Cascades. Sort of the introduction area to the park. Waterfall #2 - First Falls. A quick glance at a 30 foot high waterfall section. But nothing special, imo. When Continuing on the trail, you'll cross over a wooden bridge and follow up a staircase. Now at... Waterfall #3 - Middle Falls... Middle Falls is 80 feet high and partially obstructed by trees and branches having grown over time. *Side Note*.... I wish park services would do some forest cutting for everyone to enjoy clearer views of the park's waterfalls. Entrance right now is free. I'd suggest charging a small fee and using that money to pay for some grooming. A lot of the observation points can't be fully appreciated. Just me venting a little, lol. Waterfall #4 - Burgess Falls... Burgess falls is the centerpiece highlight of the park. Standing at 136 feet from top to bottom, Burgess Falls can absolutely be dramatic, but still natural excess forest maturation disrupts full visibility of the falls. I did read that kayaking at the bottom of Burgess Falls is the most interactive way to come face to face with this statuesque waterfall. You can rent kayaks at Cane Hollow Recreation Area, located at the end of Cane Hollow Road. It's about 10 minutes from Burgess Falls. You can end the River Trail hike at the Top of Burgess for a panoramic overlook of the rugged gorge the falls splash down into from high above. It's another quick stop and go area before returning back towards the trailhead. Overall, Burgess Falls was a muted experience for me, but still has potential to be a rewarding visit if park authorities can maintain the inevitable growing forest hindrances that negate special moments at the waterfall overlooks.

You need a permit to walk all the way down to the falls and it is a very challenging hike. They…read morelimit the amount sold so it does sell out. The gorge does flood so def watch the safetyvide. we wouldn't have made it without out hiking poles. It was my first time using them but theybare game changer for hills and uneven terrain. We had to cross a river ... not creek. Climbing over rocks and boulders. River rocks are sooo slippery. Shoes should have good tread. This was challenging and truthful doubt I'd do it again. Water was cold. But falls are beautiful.

Cummins Falls State Park is located 10 miles north of the town of Cookeville, in Central Tennessee…read more Can you go swimming at Cummins Falls??? Of course you can! It's a 1 mile hike down to the bottom of a gorge to reach a swimming hole Travel and Leisure Magazine rates...as one of the "10 Best in the United States"! It's $7 to gain access to the gorge. You can purchase passes online ahead of time at tnstateparks.com. Or, you can buy passes inside the Visitor Center the day of, but they allot only 200 tickets per day so depending upon the time of year, passes can sell out quickly especially during peak summers. Now...there is a waterfall overlook to check out but I think it'd be more worthwhile to get to Cummins Falls ASAP before the crowds arrive and you can always visit the lookout on the return trip back up towards the trailhead. Once you reach the river area, it's 6/10th's of a mile remaining until you arrive at the falls. Also, make sure to hang towards the left while hiking beside the river and (imo) it's imperative to be wearing water shoes as the creek is filled with sharp rocks and water levels reaching shin high. While hiking to Cummins Falls, you really get a sense for being in the heart of nature. I enjoyed the setting. Approaching the falls, it's 75 feet of cascading waters flowing down the cliffside and ideal for swimming. Best of all, visitors can climb the rocks and explore at their leisure making for an adventurous experience. Of course, it's a rite of passage to finish the experience in style by going swimming. The park opens at 8am. I'd suggest arriving as early as possible before it gets busy. The park closes at 6pm but there's a clearly stated sign that visitors must exit the gorge area by 5pm. One extra note...lifeguards are on duty at Cummins Falls throughout the day. When returning back up towards the trailhead, now head over to the lookout platform getting to admire Cummins Falls from high above. It makes for a photogenic perspective and is a clear reminder of why the great outdoors can be so special. Right nearby Cummins Falls SP are more local waterfalls to check out including...Fall Creek Falls, Burgess Falls, Ozone Falls, Virgin Falls, Piney Falls and Stinging Fork Falls, just to name a few.

Over the top AMAZING WE'RE NOW MEMBER'S!!! Highly recommend even though I don't like sharing this…read morekind of stuff lol clean and just beautiful

This campground was great!! The amenities were the best I've ever seen. The showers were so CLEAN!…read more(And during COVID!). I loved the hiking trails (all natural! Not defined path so for highly active), swimming hole and fishing pond. Next time I'll have to bring the ATV's. Absolutely beautiful space. The primitive area was perfect. Full of trees and secluded from other sites.

Absolutely fabulous find right out of town. Waterfall was…read moreamazing. Beautiful light hike, trail is well maintained and clean. Some incline and little bit of rock scrambling. There are some big drop offs, so be cautious with toddlers

Delicious, affordable. Had the grilled chicken, very well cooked. Great service - we will…read moredefinitely return