Putnam County

Little Falls, Tennessee

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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?

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Unnamed Falls #2, Burgess Falls SP, Tennessee

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A smaller waterfall in Burgess Falls State Park, December 2009

In Burgess Falls State Park, there are a number of smaller waterfalls to be found. They are all waterfalls that flow into the Falling Water River. The second of these unnamed falls is one of the more beautiful ones. It’s actually taller than one might expect, and it may actually continue on underneath the trail. I’m guessing the waterfall is likely to be flowing only in times of higher rainfall. I could imagine it drying up when there isn’t as much rain. I visited the falls in late December, though I don’t know if there was much rain before that.

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: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 30′
Length of Hike: 1.6 miles round-trip (to see all falls)

Where in the World is Unnamed Falls #2?

Middle Burgess Falls, Tennessee

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I showed up to see the waterfalls in Burgess Falls State Natural Area pretty early in the day. It was in late December and it wasn’t very busy, which was very nice. Sometimes, you arrive at just the wrong time to take pictures of certain waterfalls due to the direction of the sun, and this was one of them, at least for Middle Burgess Falls.

I got good pictures of all of the other waterfalls in the park except for this one. The sun was shining directly above the river at this point. Even so, the pictures that I got of the Middle Falls were rather interesting. The waterfall had this almost ethereal feeling to it with the fog hanging above the falls. I actually think the picture is very cool, but I would probably show up later in the day if I ever visited again.

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: 8/10 (easy/moderate)
Height: 30′
Length of Hike: 1.6 miles round-trip (to see all falls)

Middle Burgess Falls in December 2009

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Middle Falls in November 2017

Where in the World is Middle Burgess Falls?

Falling Water Cascades, Tennessee

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As you begin your hike to see Burgess Falls and the other waterfalls along the Falling Water River, the Falling Water Cascades are one of the first drops you will encounter. I didn’t really notice them, though, until I was hiking back to the parking area. As with any waterfall, the direction of approach matters.

The Falling Water Cascades are very photogenic. The multiple, small drops allow for a very beautiful effect. Pay attention to the cascades in the presence of the much larger falls.

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: 10′
Length of Hike: 1.6 miles round-trip (to see all falls)

Falling Water Cascades in December 2009

Where in the World is Falling Water Cascades?

Burgess Falls, Tennessee

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If you’re in the Cookeville region of Tennessee, you definitely need to visit Burgess Falls. It’s an extremely beautiful waterfall with a very interesting shape.

When you visit Burgess Falls State Park, you’ll see Burgess Falls, the largest of the falls, along with four other smaller falls on Falling Water River. There are also multiple tributary “waterfalls.” Visiting Burgess Falls is also surprisingly easy. You can most likely bring your children to the falls, though they need to exercise caution, as do adults. Everyone can view the falls from the overlook. If you want to view the falls from the base, though, this requires more effort and is probably not everyone. There were stairs making the hike down safer than I expected.

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: 8/10 (easy/moderate)
Height: 136′
Length of Hike: 1.6 miles round-trip

Burgess Falls in December 2009

Where in the World is Burgess Falls?