Fall Creek Falls State Park sits on 26,000 acres of rugged Cumberland Plateau terrain in Van Buren, Bledsoe County, Tennessee — making it one of the largest state parks in the eastern United States. The park’s centerpiece is its namesake waterfall, a 256-foot cascade that ranks as one of the tallest free-falling waterfalls east of the Mississippi.

But Fall Creek Falls is far more than a single waterfall. The park shelters several additional falls — Piney Falls, Cane Creek Falls, and Cane Creek Cascades — each accessible by well-marked trails that wind through gorges thick with hemlock, poplar, and oak. The landscape here drops dramatically into Cane Creek Gorge, creating overlooks that reward hikers with sweeping views of forested ravines and exposed sandstone bluffs.

Visitors can swim at the park’s pool or natural swimming areas, fish for bass and bluegill in Fall Creek Lake, paddle kayaks and canoes, mountain bike dedicated trails, or play the 18-hole golf course. A nature center offers programs year-round, and the trail system covers over 30 miles of varying difficulty.

Camping options range from tent and RV sites with hookups to backcountry sites for those wanting solitude. The park also offers cabins and a renovated inn for visitors who prefer a roof overhead.

Fall is the standout season — the plateau’s elevation brings vivid foliage a week or two earlier than surrounding lowlands — but spring wildflower blooms and summer swimming make every season worth a visit.

Explore Nearby

• Sequatchie Valley Scenic Byway — Scenic Byway in Tennessee
• Obed Wild and Scenic River — Dark Sky Site in Tennessee
• Cordell Hull Highway — Scenic Byway in Kentucky
• Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest — National Forest in Georgia