Burgess Falls State Park and Natural Area

We visited Burgess Falls State Park on Father's Day 2012.  The aptly named Falling Water River has four named waterfalls in rapid succession.  Upstream of the series of falls is a dam that somewhat regulates the water flow in drier seasons.  This is the second dam near this location and replaced one that was washed out by floods in 1928.  The dam was built by the City of Cookeville to provide electric power.  The penstock and powerhouse were located downstream.  While it is adjacent to the parking lot, the dam is not accessible to the public.  However, there are a couple of viewing platforms on the lake.  The falls and park are named after Tom Burgess.  The land was deeded to him by the federal government in 1793 as partial payment for his Revolutionary War service.

Falling Water Cascades

The short, gravel trail from the parking lot to the river descends gradually by way of several steps.  It reaches the river at the ten-foot high Falling Water Cascades.  When the water is down, it is possible to walk out into the river on a series of rock ledges.  There are several boulders near the trail that are used by visitors as benches.

Little Falls

Turning left and heading downstream from the cascades, the trail reaches Little Falls in about 500 feet.  The falls here are about 20 feet high.  At this point, the trail is well above the river.  The river bank here is very steep and access to the river is blocked with a series of handrails along the trail.  Just downstream of the falls are the remains of a suspension bridge that once carried a penstock from the dam to the powerhouse downstream.  There is a fenced overlook at this point.

Due to the heavy traffic, the trail has been packed and eroded.  This leaves lots of trip hazards on the exposed roots and rocks.

Middle Falls

Further down the trail another 0.4 miles leads to a short side trail with a fenced overlook on the bluff above Middle Falls and its amphitheater.  The sound reverberates off the rock walls and makes the falls seem even more impressive than their 30 foot height.

Burgess Falls

Continuing down the trail another quarter mile or so leads to an overlook of the 136 foot high Burgess Falls.  However, the best views are available after hiking down to the rim of the falls and then to the  base of the falls.

Including the stop at Ozone Falls, this made Father's Day 2012 a five-waterfall day!


The park website is http://tn.gov/environment/parks/BurgessFalls/.