Fall Creek Falls State Park

The park covers over twelve thousand hectares of plateau cut by gorges, and Fall Creek Falls drops about seventy-eight metres into a shaded basin - the highest free-fall waterfall east of the Mississippi. Several other named falls are within the park, among them Piney Creek, Cane Creek, Rockhouse and the Cane Creek Cascades. The gorges below the rim run noticeably cooler than the plateau above. A trail descends to the base of the main falls, steep and rocky. Flow varies substantially - after a dry spell the falls thin considerably, and spring is when they are at their strongest.

What you'll find

• A free-falling drop of about seventy-eight metres - into a shaded basin.
• Several other named falls - within the same park.
• Cool, shaded gorges - below the plateau rim.
• A steep trail to the base - rocky and slow.

When to go

March to November; spring for maximum flow. A full day.

Things to know

Late summer flow can be thin. The descent to the base is strenuous and the climb back more so. Autumn weekends fill the overlooks. Facilities have been through redevelopment with closures.

Nearby

Chattanooga is south; Cummins Falls is north.

Key facts