A Pop Up Waterfall Weekend
I spent portions of every day last week checking the weather for the three-day weekend and knew we could be in for some iffy weather but that wasn’t keeping us in! We packed things for just about any condition and decided to take a chance for a weekend camping trip to Fall Creek Falls State Park. This turned out to be a great decision that included snow, cold temperatures, ice and SUNSHINE!!!!
We arrived to the park to find the campgrounds were virtually empty with snow on the ground. We checked in and set up in the A loop (there are 5 loops) in site A3. This is a pull-through site with electric and water and is large enough for virtually any unit.
After setting up camp it was off to explore the area and scope out our hikes for the next day. We made quick stop at the visitor center for a map and then headed for the main overlook of Fall Creek Falls along the Scenic Loop. Along the way we passed Fall Creek Falls Lake and were simply amazed by the beauty of the landscape!
Fall Creeks Falls, the namesake for the park, is the highest free falling waterfall in the Eastern United States at 256 feet and is just one of the many falls and cascades located in the park. There is a large parking area at the overlook and a paved pathway leading to the viewing area. The trail heads for the Base of the Falls Trail and the trail to the Nature Center are also at the overlook.
After taking in the falls and seeing where we would hike the next morning it was back to the car to continue on around the Scenic Loop. Around this loop we found many unique views and sites including Piney Creek Falls and a suspension bridge.
Hiking Day
Morning came and we all woke rested and refreshed. Most of the snow had melted and the temperatures were expected to rise to around 40 for the day meaning it was perfect hiking weather for us! We took our time with breakfast, plus coffee for me, and gave the sun time to warm things up a bit before heading out for the day.
Around mid-morning it was time to head out and take in some adventure starting with a trip down Base of the Falls Trail to the bottom of Fall Creek Falls. This trail is only 0.4 miles each way but does have some steep sections. The bottom is extremely rocky and plan to get wet if you decide to walk around the falls? The closer we got to the falls the stronger the winds became and the more mist soaked us!
After we had our fill of the main falls area we headed back up the trail to the overlook where we started the Overlook Trail toward the Nature Center. This trail took us along the ridge above Fall Creek Falls and had several areas to take in the amazing views across the gorges ending with Cane Creek Falls and Cane Creek Cascades.
Just beyond the Cane Creek Overlook we turned onto the Woodland Trail to continue to the Nature Center. This section of the trail works its way down leading to the new Cane Creek Suspension Bridge that was just rebuilt and opened in December 2020. This bridge crosses the Cane Creek Cascades and ends at the back of the Nature Center. We took a stroll through and had our lunch before starting back to the car for the day.
Overall Impressions
Fall Creek Falls State Park is the largest state park in Tennessee meaning there is a LOT to do. There are five campgrounds and several miles of trails within the park. We were only able to see a small portion of the park on our short visit but I can say we’ll be back soon! The bath houses in the campgrounds are kept extremely clean and climate controlled and all the staff we encountered were overly friendly.
Be sure to check out our adventure on YouTube here and click the subscribe button!