When I visited Tennessee in December 2009, I ended up driving around a considerable amount of the central portion of the state. Some counties and areas have a considerable number of waterfalls within a short distance of each other. That is not the case for Waterloo Falls, with only Cummins Falls and the smaller Hardy-Reagan Falls and being relatively nearby.
I hadn’t actually even planned on visiting Waterloo Falls. I intended to visit Cummins Falls, only to drive by and realize that there was no place to park. I later learned a very sad tragedy had occurred at the falls, and the area was now blocked off. (As of 2017, Cummins Falls has a designated state park.) I ended up driving about 9 miles to find Waterloo Falls instead. It’s not extremely tall or extremely wide. It’s almost right in the middle. What I love about this falls is its photogenic nature. Without much difficulty, I was able to achieve a really spectacular cascading effect. I think that was just pure luck, but if you look at the right portion of the picture, you’ll even notice I was able to capture a rainbow formed by the mist from the falls. I just love the way this waterfall looks.
Directions:
- From the junction of US-70N and TN-136 in Cookeville, head north on SR-136 for about 10 miles.
- After that 10 miles, bear left onto Waterloo Road.
- On Waterloo Road, you’ll go down a mildly steep, narrow dirt road to a “parking” area, where if you open your window, you’ll hear the falls. The area is a short distance from a house, so please respect private property nearby.
Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 35′
Length of Hike: negligible
Waterloo Falls in late December 2009
Where in the World is Waterloo Falls?
The Waterfall Record 