Hike Location: Fall Creek Falls State Park
Geographic Location: southeast of Spencer, TN (35.66227, -85.34969)
Length: 3 miles
Difficulty: 8/10 (Moderate/Difficult)
Dates Hiked: October 2018
Overview: A semiloop, sometimes rocky and sometimes steep,
to Cane Creek Falls and Fall Creek Falls.
Park Information: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/fall-creek-falls
Directions to the trailhead: From Spencer, take SR 30
east 11.6 miles to SR 284 and turn right on SR 284. Drive SR 284 south 3.1 miles to the state
park’s Nature Center, where this hike begins.
The hike: The
crown jewel of Tennessee’s state park system, Fall Creek Falls State Park is
the largest and most visited state park in Tennessee. Originally operated by the National Park
Service, the park’s origins date to 1937 when the federal government began
buying up badly eroded farm land around Fall Creek Falls. In 1938, the depression-era Works Progress
Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps began stabilizing the soil and
building park facilities. The National
Park Service transferred the park to the State of Tennessee in 1944.
True to its
crown jewel status, Fall Creek Falls State Park offers nearly every amenity
imaginable. Those activities include
fishing, swimming, and boating on Fall Creek Lake, 222 campsites spread among 5
camping areas, 6 cabins, an inn, a golf course, and 56 miles of hiking
trails. Yet the park’s main attractions
remain its 3 major waterfalls, all of which can be easily seen even without
doing any real hiking. I have actually come
here three times (in May 1998, November 2001, and October 2018), but I only did
significant hiking on my most recent visit.
Nevertheless, I had a great day here all three times.
The park offers two long hiking
trails: the 12 mile Lower Loop that visits the area below Fall Creek Falls and
the 13 mile Upper Loop that explores the upland area above the falls. If these options sound too long for a
comfortable day hike, the park offers many shorter trails as well. The hike described here may be the park’s
best short hike, as it takes you to two of the major waterfalls and passes
several other scenic overlooks along the way.
Be warned that this hike and the entire park are very popular, so I
recommend planning a weekday or off-season visit to Fall Creek Falls State Park
to avoid congestion on the park’s trails and roads.
The hike
starts by crossing the suspension bridge behind the Nature Center, but before
you cross the bridge look to the right for the Nature Center’s overlook of Cane
Creek Falls. At this ledge-type
waterfall, water in Cane Creek falls 85 feet in a single drop. This waterfall would be the featured
waterfall in most parks, but at Fall Creek Falls it is only a warm-up act.
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| Temporary trailhead |
To
complicate matters slightly, when I came here in October 2018 the Nature Center
was closed for renovation, so I had to start at a temporary trailhead to the
left, descend steeply to Cane Creek, and then climb steeply to reach the east
end of the suspension bridge. If the
Nature Center construction is finished when you arrive, you will be able to
walk out the back door of the Nature Center and immediately reach the
suspension bridge’s east end. The
suspension bridge has a wooden deck suspended from steel cables, and it sways
enough to give someone with a fear of heights such as myself a white-knuckled
crossing. The bridge’s location just
upstream from Cane Creek Falls makes the bridge look higher than it is.
 |
| Suspension bridge |
After
crossing the bridge, you pass another nice view of Cane Creek Falls before
climbing some concrete steps to reach a trail intersection. The option going left leads to Loop C of the
park’s campground, so you want to angle right to head for Fall Creek
Falls. The trail climbs at a moderate
rate via two switchbacks to reach another signed trail intersection at 0.25
miles. This intersection forms the loop
portion of this hike. To get to the
overlooks quickly, this description turns right here to begin the Overlook
Trail and uses the Woodland Trail going left as our eventual return route.
The trail
descends gradually to reach the first of three spur trails that exit right to
overlooks. Each of the spur trails are
rocky and steep, but they all lead to interesting views. This spur leads to another nice view of Cane
Creek Falls, but this angle also allows you to see another tall but low-volume
waterfall and the Nature Center overlook you stood at a few minutes ago across
the gulf. Only a wire cable keeps you
back from the sheer cliff edge here, so be careful where you step at this
overlook.
 |
| Cane Creek Falls; Nature Center overlook across gorge |
Back on the
main loop, the wide dirt trail climbs gradually and curves left to reach the
second spur trail. The second spur trail
descends slightly to reach a rocky outcrop, but trees blocked any view on my
visit. Continuing around the loop brings
you to the third and final spur trail, the one leading to Rocky Point
Overlook. This overlook is a nice
north-facing viewpoint of narrow and rocky Cane Creek Gulf, which at this point
is nearly 300 feet deep. Take a few
minutes and enjoy the rocky scenery this overlook has to offer.
 |
| Rocky Point Overlook |
Keep going
around the main loop until, 1.2 miles into the hike, the Woodland Trail exits
left to continue the loop. We will go
that way eventually, but to also visit Fall Creek Falls, continue straight for
now. The trail dips to cross two
tributaries of Fall Creek, one of which has very high iron content, then
reaches an overlook of the gulf into which Fall Creek flows. The signed Lower Loop exits left near this
point.
At 1.5
miles, you reach the park’s signature overlook of Fall Creek Falls. At a height of 256 feet, Fall Creek Falls has
the tallest single drop of any waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. Although the park’s Fall Creek Lake is
located less than 1 mile upstream, Fall Creek’s water volume varies greatly by
season. This waterfall was very
impressive when I came here in May 1998, but it will be barely a trickle during
a drought. Time your visit
accordingly. A long bench makes a great
place to sit, but the large parking lot a couple hundred feet behind you
ensures that you will not be alone at this overlook.
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| Fall Creek Falls in May 1998 |
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| Fall Creek Falls in October 2018 |
If you are getting
tired or running out of time, this overlook is a good place to turn around and
head back to the Nature Center. For
people with the time and energy, the 0.4 mile one way Base of the Falls Trail
leads to its namesake location, which is a very scenic spot with a great view
of Fall Creek Falls and the surrounding rock walls. This trail is steeper and rockier than any
trail you have hiked so far, but it is manageable for people in decent physical
condition if you take your time.
 |
| The rocky Base of the Falls Trail |
The Base of
the Falls Trail departs the left (north) side of the overlook at a signed
trailhead. After heading down some
wooden waterbars, the trail surface becomes rocky as the descent begins in
earnest. Numerous scenic rock outcrops
stand beside the trail, and although some people were climbing them on my
visit, such an endeavor is too risky for my taste.
 |
| Descending past a rock outcrop |
After
descending three switchbacks and a single-flight wooden staircase, the sound of
rushing Cane Creek comes within earshot on the left. The trail passes under a large rock shelter
where some boulders will have to be scrambled over just before you reach the
trail’s end at the base of Fall Creek Falls.
The plunge pool is surprisingly small given the waterfall’s size, but
the imposing vertical rock walls make this place special.
 |
| Base of Fall Creek Falls |
The trail
ends at the base of the falls, so next comes the arduous task of climbing back
up to the Fall Creek Falls overlook at 2.3 miles. Upon reaching the overlook, continue
retracing your steps to where the Woodland and Overlook Trails split to form
the loop portion of this hike. Turn
right to begin the Woodland Trail and continue the loop you left earlier.
 |
| Hiking the Woodland Trail |
True to its
name, the wide dirt Woodland Trail offers only a hike through nice oak forest
with no waterfalls or overlooks to distract you. Thus, what this trail lacks in scenery it
makes up for in ease. After climbing gradually
to top the ridge and reach the highest elevation on this hike, the Turkey Pen
Ridge Trail exits right to head for the park’s campground. A short gradual descent closes the loop. Continue straight and re-cross the suspension
bridge to return to the Nature Center and complete the hike. If you are up for more hiking while you are
here, the 2.5 mile Paw Paw Trail offers a nice but somewhat uneventful loop
north of the Nature Center, while the asphalt Lake and Piney Falls Trails
connect the park’s inn with Piney Creek Falls, the third major waterfall at Fall
Creek Falls State Park.
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