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!

A quiet, well-run and tidy corps of engineers campground with polite and helpful camp hosts and…read moreattentive park rangers. We found the sites to be very level and each site had a nice picnic table, grill, food prep area. The bathrooms were clean and well located with one at each end of the small campground. A nice playground and easy access down to the water for angling. While there is no beach at the campground (due to being below the dam) there is beach access to the lake not far away by car.

This is the best lake in TN hands down! One of the cleanest in the United States and very deep…read more It's not filled with debris like some others in the middle Tennessee area and it has quite a few wonderful campgrounds/RV parks, for those who would like to travel here. The "city" of Smithville isn't exactly a booming place to be... Mostly closed or old buildings - very small, and unless you're camping, I wouldn't stay in the immediate area. But once you get to the lake, it's amazing! The campgrounds are well kept and fairly large. The lake itself winds around, snake-like, with cove after cove to play in or soak up the sun in. You want privacy? You got it! You want wakes? You have that too! The fishing must be outstanding considering the many tournaments they have there. My husband and I live closer to two other lakes, but we drive just over an hour to come to this one. We can't say enough great things about it!

Love the grilled chicken sandwich! My husband loves the spaghetti plate and the Alfredo is…read moreawesome!! From the panini's to the plate dinners everything we've tried is wonderful! If you're down in the lake or passing through, stop and give them a try! They also have the cheapest gas in town!

Absolutely stunning walk in nature. I highly recommend this easy 3 mile in and out hike. It's…read morewaterfall heaven! I should have counted to see how many waterfalls there were; I am curious to know how many I saw today. The museum is nice as well. There is also camping, playground, picnic area and large ceremonial Indian field.

Great park with beautiful waterfalls! I came here right before the hurricane so the there was not…read moreas much water and but it was still beautiful! The hike is super easy and very kid friendly! We had brought water shoes so we could dip our feet into the lake! It was lots of fun! We will definitely be back! Very scenic and fun!

This park touts the largest waterfall east of the Mississippi River (sans Niagara), and it did NOT…read moredisappoint! First: be prepared to hike a little. It's about a mile in to get to this part, but worth every step. Plus, there are several lessor falls en route to the main event. They were breathtaking even for a low- flow season like September. I imagine these falls roar to life early spring with the mountain thaws. There's a dirt road that allows for less strenuous hiking than the woodsy areas if you're brush averse and don't want to be as much of a Billy goat, but eventually you have to hike a little ways to the observation points on the trail, so bear that in mind. Fun excursion for the whole family!

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.

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.

Highly recommend so beautiful here. We hiked here from the water side. I guess some other easier…read moreway was shut down. They do not allow people to go here at certain times so make sure to check before you go. It is a major hike so being lots of water and charge your battery for pics

Always enjoy our stay at Old Mill Camp! The spots are spacious, the grounds are well maintained,…read moreand the restrooms are spotless. Did I mention the value? Great pricing, especially if you stay a week or more.

My Husband just stayed two nights and can not stop raving about it. Said it was very nice,…read moreespecially the bathrooms and showers. I guarantee you'll love it here, just like him.

I love walking the trails at Bledsoe Park - they are clean and safe with great views - I don't…read moreremember the names of the trees or plants but my hiking buddy is good with them. It was great to reach the water and see the greenery that is tied to the lake

This park is set up great, BUT before 7:30am we had dump trucks driving by shaking our camper, a…read moretrack hoe and a Jack hammer operating within 100 yards of our camper- again BEFORE 7:30am. The park is clean and set up perfectly (would love septic hookup) but we've always loved staying here but this extreme noise was a bit much. I felt sorry for the people next to us who had small children. We were here to help a family member who was recovering from an hospital stay and we were very tired. We've not encountered this during any other visits at the park.