5 Family Friendly Waterfalls in Cookeville and Middle Tennessee
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Cookeville, Tennessee is growing steadily, and it's no wonder! Middle Tennessee is a beautiful place to live and raise a family for many reasons, such as low cost of living, a small town atmosphere, and tons of family activities, including some amazing Waterfall trails. In this post, we've listed our top 5 must-see waterfall locations in Cookeville and Middle Tennessee!
1. Cummin's Falls
These incredible falls seem almost too beautiful to be real! But real they are, and hiking down this trail makes for a perfect family adventure. The trail down to the water is about a 20 minute walk, and from there it's a bit of a hike through the rock-filled stream that leads to the bottom of the falls. Once you make it to the falls, there's rocks to lay out and picnic on, and a large swimming area deep enough to jump into.
The only downside of Cummin's Falls is that everyone has realized what a gem this place is, so it can get pretty crowded on the weekends. But if you go early on a weekday and pack a lunch, you're sure to beat out the crowd and have a fun-filled day with the family.
2. Burgess Falls
Source: Sarah Eiseman
Burgess falls is a very family-friendly hike with an easy trail that's less than 1 mile! There are several over-looks of these beautiful falls that are perfect for photos and taking in the scenery. There is a hike down to the bottom of the falls with a swimming area, but due to storm damage that trail has been closed off in 2018. It's still a great place to hang out for the day and enjoy Tennessee's natural beauty!
3. Virgin Falls
Source: Blane Arnold
These falls are a stunning reward for a moderate 8.3 miles hike. Though the trail is a good workout, the beautiful falls at the end make it worth it, and there are swimming holes along the way! If your family is the adventuring type, pack lots of water and a lunch, and gear up for this day-long excursion.
4. Fall Creek Falls
Source: TN Vacation
The falls pictured above are actually just one of the many falls at Fall Creek Falls State Park! This park is over 200 acres and is bursting with trails, waterfalls, and activities for you and your family to do. There's a swimming hole off of the main trail, and a rickety bridge for those feeling brave. It's about an 1 1/2 drive from Cookeville, but makes for a great day of adventuring. Find out more about this park here
5. Rock Island
Source: Bob Butters
This park is only 45 minutes from Cookeville, but offers a relatively easy and short hike down to the main falls. There's several places along the way to stop and enjoy a picnic, and if you are up for a longer hike, you can hike a couple miles past the main falls for some calmer water, perfect for swimming. Sometimes the swimming areas do get closed off if the water is too high, but going anywhere in this park is sure to be a trip you won't soon forget.
Let us know if you have a favorite Tennessee waterfall that wasn't mentioned on this list, or if you have ever been to any of these falls!
