Every once in a while, I honestly can’t remember a waterfall. I don’t really remember Little Falls. I remember the other not-so-distant Little Falls in Tennessee (which is Rock Island State Park). This one is found in Burgess Falls State Park. I remember walking down a hill to view Falling Water Cascades, which is above Little Falls. I recollect Middle Falls, which I had a difficult time photographing in the early morning sun. And it’s almost impossible to forget Burgess Falls, the largest of the falls.

And yet I don’t seem to remember Little Falls, which is upstream of Middle and Burgess Falls. I have a photograph of it and it’s on the map of Tennessee waterfalls I’ve visited, but it just isn’t clicking. The trail that leads to Burgess Falls is a pretty easy jaunt, and I have a feeling it was so simple to stop and view the falls that it just became an afterthought. I didn’t have to do anything special to photograph the falls. It was just there, and in the process, this beautiful waterfall slipped away.

Directions:

1. From I-40 near Cookeville, take the exit for TN-135 and head south on TN-135.
2. Follow TN-135 for a ways, until you see the sign indicating the turn for Burgess Falls. From there, its a short distance to the parking lot for the falls.
3. The signs make the hike very simple to follow.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 30′
Length of Hike: 1.6 miles round-trip (to see all falls)

Little Falls in December 2009

Where in the World is Little Falls?