Waterfalls
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After a day or two of rain, a trigger in my brain prompts me to chase a waterfall.
Waterfalls fascinate humans like mountain peaks and shooting stars. Choosing which waterfall to explore is often a quandary. Thankfully, dozens are near my East Tennessee home. And countless waterfalls remain to be explored.
Words to live by: Your favored waterfall flows through all of human history; plus eons before and after.
SWF50V Copyright 2024 Steven L Madden
A Roan Mountain State Park ranger did me a favor by recommending I visit Elk River Falls about 30 minutes from the park near Elk Park NC.
SWF49V Copyright 2024 Steven L Madden
The state park ranger also recommended I visit Laurel Falls.
It is beside the Appalachian Trail about two hiking miles from Dennis Cove trailhead.
SWF48V Copyright 2024 Steven L Madden
Our small group of senior adult hikers shared Abrahms Falls Trail with dozens of Smoky Mountains hikers.
Abrahms Falls Trailhead is about half way around Cades Cove Loop Road, before you reach the Cable Mill area.
SWF47V Copyright 2024 Steven L Madden
An impressive stream called Lick Creek flows through Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area near Stearns and Whitley City KY.
Lick Creek is most impressive after recent rains when it rushes over this cliff as Princess Falls.
Begin your short hike to Princess Falls from Yamacraw Bridge.
SWF46H Copyright 2024 Steven L Madden
Reedy River flows through downtown Greenville SC.
An inviting park and an assortment of restaurants and shops surround Reedy River Falls.
SWF45V Copyright 2024 Steven L Madden
Wear good shoes when you visit Ozone Falls State Natural Area in Cumberland County TN.
To acquire the best views of the falls, you will scramble over rocks that were slippery both times I visited the 110-foot waterfall.
SWF44V Copyright 2024 Steven L Madden
It was our first hike together and I did everything wrong.
Drove bad roads to the middle of nowhere.
Arrived at our trailhead two hours late.
Underestimated our hike by three miles.
Walked out of the woods after dark using a head lamp.
If David hikes with me again I will be surprised and relieved.
Then again, after seeing Virgin Falls and three other waterfalls at their best, David will surely want to see more of nature’s amazing wonders.
SWF43V Copyright 2024 Steven L Madden
Snow and ice had melted, followed by significant rain. It was the perfect time to chase waterfalls.
This is one of three Kentucky waterfalls Russ and I saw that January day. It is Flat Lick Falls, and you can see it at the end of an ADA accessible trail within a county park near McKee KY.
SWF42H Copyright 2024 Steven L Madden
This is the top shelf or “flat” of three-layered Indian Flats Falls.
The top shelf is relatively easy to access from Middle Prong Trail in the Smoky Mountains, about four miles from the Tremont area trailhead.
To fully appreciate the two lower shelves requires a scramble through Rhododendron and among stream-side boulders.
Indian Flats Falls’ lower shelves are worth the effort for adventurous hikers.
SWF41V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
The journey is as important as the destination.
On the final day of 2023, my journey took me along Cades Cove Loop Road and Abrams Falls Trail to this popular waterfall in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
After I see more Winter waterfall scenes, I might forget this image. But I will not soon forget trekking around Cades Cove on a cold, sunny, wonder-filled day.
SWF40V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
After trekking out and back between Frozen Head State Park visitor center and Chimney Top, the time for trails to close was too near for my hoped for visit to Debord Falls.
Instead, I stopped alongside TN 62 to see Middle Fork Falls.
My solo Winter hike was complete.
SWF39V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
I returned to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park ten weeks after my prior visit (see next photo below).
This image was taken from an ADA accessible overlook on a sunny day. Muddy water indicated significant rain fell recently in McCreary and Whitley counties of KY.
SWF38V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
In early Autumn, the water level in the Cumberland River was the lowest I have seen it.
Nevertheless, Cumberland Falls lived up to its nickname: Niagara of the South.
SWF37V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
I could not believe my eyes!
I returned to Waterfalls Trail in Cloudland Canyon State Park expecting to see two dramatic waterfalls: Cherokee and Hemlock.
Now I realize the two waterfalls are typically dry in Summer, as Cherokee Falls was on this occasion.
Thankfully, views of Cloudland Canyon were even better than I remembered from prior visits.
SWF37A Copyright 2022 Steven L Madden
This was my view of fast-flowing Cherokee Falls in January 2022.
This is what I expect to see when I visit Cloudland Canyon State Park near Rising Fawn GA.
SWF36V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
This was my view from the overlook at Cummins Falls State Park near Cookeville Tennessee.
SWF35V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
This was my view from the first terrace at the base of Cummins Falls.
Refreshing waters were my reward for navigating the precarious approach to the not-to-be-missed waterfall on a hot Summer day.
SWF34V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
The threat of severe thunderstorms changed our hiking plans. With rain falling, Kathy and I chose to walk a short distance to a waterfall in Cherokee National Forest near Erwin TN.
We were elated to see Sill Branch Falls for the first time.
SWF33V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
I needed a long walk in the woods. I opted for Middle Prong and Lynn Camp Prong trails near Tremont in the Smoky Mountains.
I veered off trail and was able to rock hop the stream for this rarely-seen perspective of Indian Flats Falls.
SWF32H Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
This is Falling Waters River, the main attraction at Burgess Falls State Park less than thirty minutes north of Cookeville Tennessee.
I joined faithful friends, Tom and Russ, for a memorable midsummer adventure to Burgess Falls and nearby Window Cliffs State Natural Area.
SWF31V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
The water level was below normal in Falling Waters River when we visited Burgess Falls State Park mid-July.
Even then, 130-foot Burgess Falls was spectacular!
I do believe Falling Waters River is the most delightful river I have trekked alongside.
SWF030V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
Walking among UT Gardens in Knoxville after 7pm, I appreciated how evening sun enhanced this image.
Compare it to SWF15H below, which I also captured in the Rose Garden at UT Gardens.
SWF29V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
I saw Ozone Falls for my first time today. It will not be my last time to visit the magnificent 110 foot waterfall.
It is a stone’s throw from Highway 70 in Grandview Tennessee, less than 10 miles from Exit 338 Interstate 40.
SWF28V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
Finally! A Fall Creek Falls photograph worthy of publication.
Four out of six waterfalls I visited this day churned ferociously and appeared an unsightly brown color.
Whereas Fall Creek Falls and its neighbor, Coon Creek Falls, appeared pristine white from this vantage point. Woo-hoo!
SWF27V Copyright 2023 Steven L Madden
Hiking friends took me on a manway in the Smoky Mountains and introduced me to this wonderful waterfall named Quilliams Falls.
Afterward, I read there are more than 100 waterfalls in the Smokies. About twenty of them are reachable by official, maintained trails.
SWF26V Copyright 2022 Steven L Madden
There are pros and cons to chasing waterfalls in Winter.
Ice-covered rocks near the base, and frigid stream crossings to get there, can be hazardous. You surely will opt not to swim in the plunge pool as you might in Summer.
With precautions, waterfalls can be most impressive after Winter rains. Snow and ice enhance waterfall images. And you will have less company as you explore nature’s wonders during Winter months.
I explored Cherokee Falls early January at Cloudland Canyon State Park near Rising Fawn Georgia.
SWF25V Copyright 2022 Steven L Madden
Princess Falls froze solid after four days of frigid cold Winter.
This always-impressive waterfall, and others we passed during our easy hike to see the Princess, looked more like ice sculptures than waterfalls on this occasion.
You will find them in the Kentucky section of Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area near Stearns Kentucky.
SWF24V Copyright 2022 Steven L Madden
This is Eagle Falls which flows into Cumberland River within the protected natural area that surrounds Cumberland Falls State Resort Park near Corbin Kentucky.
On this December day, I saw no other hikers along Eagle Falls Trail. I enjoyed the hike to Eagle Falls and splendid views of Cumberland Falls in solitude.
SWF01V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
This is one of my all-time favorite waterfall images, Hemlock Falls, taken in one of my favorite waterfall parks: Cloudland Canyon State Park near Rising Fawn, Georgia.
SWF02V Copyright 2022 Steven L Madden
Here is another view of Hemlock Falls, this time in Winter.
Waterfalls Trail requires hardy hikers to descend 600 stairs to see Cherokee Falls and Hemlock Falls. And, to climb the stairs afterward.
SWF03V Copyright 2022 Steven L Madden
Did I mention I love Cloudland Canyon?!
I was fortunate to arrive there for five nights of camping just after snow fell and clung to trees, shrubs, etc.
The waterfall in this image is aptly called Winter Falls.
SWF04V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
Here is a shot of Cherokee Falls. It is perhaps a quarter mile, and a few hundred stairs, upstream from Hemlock Falls at Cloudland Canyon State Park near Rising Fawn, Georgia.
SWF05V Copyright 2016 Steven L Madden
There is a natural area near Dayton, Tennessee called Laurel Snow Pocket Wilderness.
I have not yet seen Snow Falls, due to a swift stream below the waterfall. This is Laurel Falls the same Winter day after we saw hundreds of Sandhill Cranes at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.
SWF06V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
This waterfall, it appears, flowed directly from Heaven!
At 113 feet, Yahoo Falls is the highest waterfall in Kentucky. Within Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, the four-mile roundtrip hike to the waterfall also features Yahoo Arch.
SWF07H Copyright 2020 Steven L Madden
I do not yet have a Fall Creek Falls image I like well enough to publish.
Anyway, this is my favorite waterfall at Fall Creek Falls State Park near Spencer, Tennessee. Called Cane Creek Cascades, it is an easy stroll from FCFSP Nature Center.
SWF08H Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
This is the waterfall I appreciate most at Fall Creek Falls State Park.
That is because I must overcome my fear of falling to scramble down and back up precarious Cable Trail. Once at the bottom, I thoroughly enjoyed Cane Creek Falls and its refreshing pool.
SWF09V Copyright 2020 Steven L Madden
Virgin Falls is consistently spectacular.
When other waterfalls along the 10-mile roundtrip hike produce just a trickle, Virgin Falls emerges from a cave to hurl tons of water over a cliff and into another cave 110 feet below.
Well worth the strenuous effort!
SWF10V Copyright 2020 Steven L Madden
You can see 90-foot Bald River Falls from your car!
It is near the Tellico Plains end of Cherohala Skyway, plus six miles along Tellico River Road (a.k.a. Forest Road 210).
I recommend you hike Bald River Trail after you ogle the waterfall a while.
SWF11V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
Experiencing Falls Branch Falls in Cherokee National Forest was well worth the 2.5 mile hike and 18-mile drive from the Tellico Plains end of Cherohala Skyway to West Rattlesnake trailhead.
SWF12V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
I timed it right to hike 2.5 miles from Dennis Cove along the Appalachian Trail to see a good flow of water at Laurel Fork Falls. At 50’ x 40’ this waterfall is wider than it is tall.
SWF13V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
Cumberland Falls, seen here from Eagle Falls Trail, is one of America’s finest waterfalls.
Somehow, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park near Corbin, Kentucky never seems overly crowded. Trails there present glorious wonders and solitude.
SWF14V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
Eagle Falls Trail at Cumberland Falls State Park near Cobin, Kentucky offers splendid views of “Niagara Falls of the South.”
Eagle Falls Trail also offers excellent hiking and leads to this waterfall alongside Cumberland River.
SWF15H Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
You might not consider this a waterfall.
I included it in this collection because I appreciate the vibrant colors. Also, it is so near my home I can see it any day.
Look for this scene in the rose garden at The University of Tennessee Gardens in Knoxville.
SWF16V Copyright 2022 Steven L Madden
Abrams Falls Trail is accessible from Cades Cove Loop Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park nearest Townsend, Tennessee.
The five-mile roundtrip hike to Abrams Falls is excellent, but often crowded. A longer, more challenging and peaceful approach to this waterfall starts at Abrams Creek Ranger Station.
SWF17V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
Russ and I hiked a 2.5 mile section of Sheltowee Trace in Kentucky. This small waterfall was on our way to, but not the actual, Van Hook Falls.
SWF18H Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
Carla and I saw this majestic 130-foot waterfall, and much more, during our first visit to Burgess Falls State Park near Sparta, Tennessee.
I am eager to return to Burgess Falls again!
SWF19V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
This is one of three distinctive waterfalls that are upstream on Falling Water River from the 130-foot waterfall at Burgess Falls State Park near Sparta, Tennessee.
You can see all four waterfalls by walking one mile along BFSP’s popular River Trail.
SWF20H Copyright 2022 Steven L Madden
Ice prevented me from hiking to the base of Cummins Falls one Winter day.
This view is from an overlook along a short, easy trail from Cummins Falls State Park visitor center northeast from Cookeville, Tennessee.
SWF21V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
A friend introduced me to Squibb Creek Falls years ago, and I have hiked there many times since.
I especially enjoy hiking Squibb Creek Trail when Spring wildflowers are prolific.
Depending on recent rainfall and temperatures, unbridged stream crossings can be difficult. In dry weather, you can rock hop all stream crossings.
SWF22V Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
Margarette Falls is a rewarding destination after a moderately difficult hike along Dry Creek in Cherokee National Forest near Greeneville, Tennessee.
The waterfall is named for Margaret Doak. I have learned little about her. If you know her history, please share it with me.
SWF23H Copyright 2021 Steven L Madden
This is Cumberland Falls, also known as “Niagara Falls of the South,” featured at Cumberland Falls State Park near Corbin, Kentucky.
Can you believe Cumberland Falls has moved 45 miles upstream down through the ages?! According to a poster within sight of the falls:
“Cumberland Falls is thought to have originated at the Pottsville Escarpment near Burnside, Kentucky. That is 45 miles down river. The escarpment is a steep slope which separates the Cumberland Mountains from the Mississippi Plateau. Although it is not known how fast the falls is moving up river, it is a very slow process. The falls has changed very little and has been basically in the same position since before human life on this planet.”