This is kind of a strange park as several sites are distributed widely but considered under the…read moresame umbrella. I visited several, including their headquarters with a wounded hawk at the entrance, a rainforest-y loop trail, and a splendid-looking waterfall. Individually, the sites were nice but not the best the state has to offer, but when one considers the sum total of various environs and the fact that Tennessee state parks do not charge admission, I struggle to criticize. I noted that a park ranger gently pushed someone to leash their dog on the trail without getting into a confrontation.

Denny Cove Falls trail is a wonderful, moderate hike. Out & back to a gorgeous waterfall. The trail…read moreis well marked and maintained. It's a long gravel road to the parking lot dedicated just to this particular trailhead.

Our Stay at "The falls at Sewanee creek" was absolutely AMAZING! What we expected was to stay in a…read moreglorified tent, detached from a big city, and hoped for a relaxing stay here. What we got was ... the absolute perfect location to spend a night above a 50ft waterfall that lullabied us to bed. A perfect storm came through in the night to maintain that REM. Then a fuller waterfall and a few dozen songbirds to wake us up in the morning. Not even temped to hit the snooze button on that! Mr.Miller's hospitality is superb. He enjoys sharing his creativity, which is impressive, and thanks to it we had a perfect glamper to stay in and have this great experience. We took our time getting up, had some coffee, and drank it on the back deck as we watched the waterfall, yes you read that right ..... waterfall is visible from the glamper, just laying in bed I can lift my head and see it. After morning, coffee we hiked down to the bottom of the falls and soaked in the beauty and the privacy of it.

We had a great relaxing stay at the cabin. It was really cool to be that close to the falls.The…read morehost was amazing and had great recommendations for local things to do.

Beautiful short hike on a rocky hill. The trail was lovely with lots of trees and I enjoyed seeing…read morethe waterfall! Such a beautiful spot in nature! I came during rainy season and the rocks were definitely slippery so please be mindful of that and were your hiking shoes to stay safe. If you come during/after the rain the falls run pretty good.

Nice easy trail. We came at the last week of October so we didn't really see the waterfall, but I…read morebet it looks great in the Spring. The trail was still stunning though with all the fall foliage which is the reason why we came. None of us are particularly fit but we managed just fine took us just so ver an hour each way. Next time I would bring a picnic. Another thing, check the weather before you go. It was quite warm for late October, we were shedding layers like there was no tomorrow. I wish I had worn a tank top. Also the terrain is not difficult but hiking shoes are definitely the best option, but you'd be fine wearing sneakers.

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!

What a beautiful well maintained park! The falls area is amazing. The trails and the bridge access…read moreare well worth the hike.

If you like to take pictures like myself than this may not be the best place. It had a few spots…read morewith beautiful scenery but not many! Also, some of the terrain was pretty rough.

Beautiful views with an easy hike for my pup! The weather was perfect for this short 3 mile hike.read more

Oh my!!! So beautiful there! Perfect "hike" for the physical condition of our group that day.read more

Absolutely stunning falls! Worth the hike and there are other trails that take you to several…read moredifferent falls. Adams Falls Busby Falls Bubbly Falls and a couple more that I can't remember the names. There is a connecter way to avoid the slippery rocks to the falls that I highly suggest you take.

I occasionally afford myself the luxury of visiting places without really knowing what to expect…read more This park just wasn't that clear to me in its purpose, but it became more so after arrival, with a visitor center focused on Native American history and identifying this as a Cherokee Nation headquarters. A spread of recreated buildings outside offers opportunities for perusal. The most aesthetically distinctive site is a large spring of the sort that seem more common in Kentucky than Tennessee, which evinces a robust blue color and empties into a clear stream. The spring itself is off-limits, but the stream is open for wading. All of these sites are within sight of the initial entrance, but a trek uphill reveals picnic areas, an amphitheater, and a couple of mile trail through the woods. Between the different elements of the park, it was easy to spend a couple of hours there, and best of all, it's free, though the gift shop warrants examination.

Extremely nice! Not a bad price either You can bring your own food which is nice. A great way to…read morehave a family day

This park is quite substantial by state park standards, and includes several different entrances…read more The small ranger center sits adjacent to a reasonably photogenic waterfall, while a paved trail leads past campgrounds to some nauseatingly high overlooks. While taking the rougher path down into the gorge would probably be a good day's work, I didn't quite have time for that. Nonetheless, the sights were plenty, and they were free.

When I really need a break from the city, I make the drive up here. It's about 3 hours from Atlanta…read moreand it's a really easy drive right up 75. There are a few different trails that lead to different outcomes (such is life, amirite??) and landmarks. My favorite trail is to the Overlook, but I do mix them up. Some paths are in the 1-2 mile range, and others are in the 6-8 mile range. There are always enough people around for it to feel safe, but not crowded. Like any park, there is always something beautiful and different in bloom. I love the flowers and I somehow always lose myself JUST enough to be surprised by them each time. Since the pandemic hit, I've driven up here a few times. At first, the bathrooms were not open, but they have been open every time since. Surprisingly, the bathrooms at the ranger station are really clean. Not what I'd usually expect from a state park restroom!

On the Tennessee-Alabama border, is a Wildlife Management Area named the Bear Hollow Mountain…read moreWildlife Management Area. Bear Hollow Mountain is over 21,000 acres. Within this area is a 750 natural area named the Walls of Jericho. It's about an hour and forty five minute drive from Nashville. The Walls itself is referred to often as "The Grand Canyon of the South," because when you hike to the Walls of Jericho, you find yourself in a 150 foot wide bowl surrounded by 200 foot tall walls. A traveling minister found it in the late 1880s and named it, and it sat on private property until recently. It was purchased by the Nature Conservancy in 2003, and then sold to Alabama's Forever Wild Program. Alabama spent $9.3million for its portion of the land, and Tennessee spend $5.9million for its portion. The waterfalls form Paint Rock River, and the walls are surrounded by forestry. The forestry itself has at least 15 federally endangered or threatened species. The Walls of Jericho opened officially August 27th, 2004. There is a horseback riding trail, and two openings to the hiking trail- one on the Tennessee side, and one on the Alabama side. Ya'll. This is a hard hike. Even though I hike sporadically, I was not prepared. We drove an hour and forty five minutes from Nashvillle, and arrived. The parking lot had portapotties. There was no cellular service. We began the hike, which is quoted in different places as 6, 7, and 8 miles. There are paper maps in a box at the head of the trail, but they aren't well done or easily readable. As you hike, the path is marked with red marks on trees. However, the hiking trail intersects with the horseback riding trail and forks off to the other states' entrance, and it isn't well marked at all. The hike down into the forest to the canyon took my party about 2 hours, and was super easy as it was literally all downhill, with spots of rugged terrain. The hike back up took us close to 4 hours, and was decidedly difficult. Now, some hikes I've done have been steadily uphill. However, hiking back from the Walls of Jericho was a steep heavy incline for a few feet, followed by a segment of flatland, and it alternated back and forth. Since you're in a valley, the sun sets very early. For us, we began the hike at noon, the sun began to set at 5:15, and we arrived back at the car at 5:45. The scenes surrounding you are beautiful. There are sparse benches, and even an old cemetery. I wish there was more to tell us about the history of the place or the family who'd previously owned it- even on the back of the takeaway maps. Bring water and a backpack of granola. I wouldn't imagine doing this in the dead of summer, so January was perfect, temperature-wise. Go challenge yourself and do this hike.. and prepare to be sore for two days afterward; it's absolutely worth it.

We enjoyed this trail. It's well marked and the end is beautiful. The rocks are very slippery so…read moreI don't recommend this for everyone- it's like walking on ice especially the final section. Definitely a work out and beautiful scenery. Bugs in the face were an annoyance in August.