Waterfalls That Include
Significant Hiking

Virgin Falls is the crown jewel of Tennessee waterfall hiking — and one of the most extraordinary waterfalls in the entire eastern United States. A creek emerges from the mouth of a cave high on a Cumberland Plateau cliff, plunges 110 feet through open air, and disappears into a sinkhole at the base. The water never flows above ground except for this one brief, thunderous, geological miracle. You can walk behind it. You can stand close enough to feel the spray on your face and watch it vanish into the earth beneath your feet. There is nothing else like it in Tennessee.

Getting there is the other half of the story. The trail from the gravel parking lot descends 900 feet over 4.3 miles of rocky, rooty, uneven Cumberland Plateau terrain — passing Big Branch Falls, Big Laurel Falls, multiple creek crossings, caves, and the jaw-dropping Martha's Pretty Point overlook (800 feet above Scott's Gulf and the Caney Fork River gorge) before reaching the falls. The return is almost entirely uphill. Plan for 5–9 hours and start before 8am.

Along the way, the forest transforms around you — starting in upland oak-hickory woodland before descending into hemlock and mixed mesophytic gorge forest alive with mountain laurel, wild blueberry, sycamore, and tulip poplar. The trail passes rockhouses, boulder fields, sinkholes, and a cable crossing over a creek. Every mile reveals something new. Virgin Falls is the destination — but this trail earns its reputation as one of the finest wilderness day hikes in the entire region.

Cummins Falls is Tennessee's 8th largest waterfall by volume — a 75-foot cascade that drops into a natural 200-foot-deep gorge on the Blackburn Fork Scenic River. From the scenic overlook, it's impressive. From the base, standing in the plunge pool directly beneath 75 feet of falling water, it's something else entirely. And unlike most Tennessee waterfall experiences, you can actually walk under the falls and feel its full force on your face.

The gorge route to the base is the hike that earns it. The trail descends steeply from the trailhead, drops into the gorge, involves multiple boulder hops and three river crossings, and requires scrambling through rocky riverside terrain that demands good footing and genuine attention. Water shoes or waterproof hiking boots are non-negotiable — the route runs through the Blackburn Fork River itself for stretches. It's not a long hike in distance, but the terrain makes every step count. Budget 3–4 hours for the full experience.

We covered Burgess Falls in the minimal-hiking guide — but the full River Trail experience is a different beast from the parking lot overlook. The 1.5-mile River Trail takes you past all four waterfalls on the Falling Water River in sequence: the 20-foot Falling Water Cascades, the 30-foot Upper Falls, the dramatic 80-foot Middle Falls, and finally the main event — Burgess Falls plunging 136 feet into the gorge below. Four waterfalls. One trail. A 250-foot combined drop. It's one of the most complete waterfall hikes in Tennessee, and it starts 30 minutes from The Little Lake House.

Don't let the short distance fool you. The River Trail involves steep staircases, narrow rocky sections, exposed roots, and a punishing climb back up from the Middle Falls overlook that has humbled plenty of casual hikers. The section from the Middle Falls overlook back to the parking lot via the service road is the most popular return route for a reason — the riverside trail going back up is significantly harder. Wear sturdy shoes, bring water, and go slow on the descent near Middle Falls.

Machine Falls is one of Middle Tennessee's most beautiful and consistently underrated waterfalls — a broad, multi-tiered cascade that spills into a natural rock amphitheater ringed by mossy bluff walls. Short Springs State Natural Area protects 800 acres of the Eastern Highland Rim around Tullahoma, and the trail to Machine Falls is a satisfying 1.6-mile loop through mature forest with 500–700 feet of rolling elevation gain and the kind of mossy, fern-draped bluff scenery that makes this corner of Tennessee look like the Pacific Northwest.

The trail passes multiple smaller cascades before reaching Machine Falls, making the approach itself part of the reward. The rock amphitheater surrounding the falls is one of the most dramatic natural formations in the region — the bluff walls curve around the plunge pool in a horseshoe, amplifying the sound of the falls until it fills the entire hollow. At peak flow in spring, Machine Falls is genuinely spectacular. Summer flow can be reduced during dry periods — the falls are most impressive after significant rainfall.