Waterfalls near Nashville, Tennessee

How the list breaks down

This page covers six falls within 100 straight-line miles, and it counts only falls we have published. Five are open, as far as we can tell (checked Oct 18 to Nov 7, 2026). The exception is Burgess Falls, 67.0 straight-line miles east. The latest park update we found, dated April 3, 2026, says its main overlook is open and its gorge is closed.

Two falls near Tullahoma come next: Machine Falls at 62.6 straight-line miles and Rutledge Falls at 63.3. Cummins Falls, with a Cookeville address, is 68.2 straight-line miles away, and its gorge needs a permit. The farthest on this list is Fall Creek Falls, 87.3 straight-line miles southeast, with a 256-foot drop per Tennessee State Parks.

Most of the list costs nothing to enter. The NPS charges no entrance fees on the Parkway or at its facilities, and Tennessee State Parks charges no access fee at any state park. TNVacation says Rutledge is free, though it sits on private land. TDEC lists no fee for Machine Falls, and Cummins sells a permit only for its gorge.

For more falls across the state, see our Tennessee waterfalls guide.

Jackson Falls on the Natchez Trace Parkway

Jackson Falls is a cascade at milepost 404.7 of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The NPS describes a steep trail, a concrete sidewalk 900 feet long, that ends at a clear pool at the base. The NPS publishes no height, so we don't give one. It asks visitors not to climb on the falls, which it calls very slick and dangerous.

The falls exist because of what the NPS calls a classic case of stream piracy. Jackson Branch once flowed into a high valley, cut off from the Duck River below. The Duck River then captured it. Today the diverted stream slips down into the Duck River Valley at the falls, leaving its old course behind.

The NPS lists nine amenities at the stop, including a restroom, auto parking, a picnic shelter, a grill and a trailhead. It calls Jackson Falls one of two waterfalls on the Parkway. The other is Fall Hollow, at milepost 391.9 near Hohenwald, which this page does not cover.

There is no fee. The NPS says there are no entrance fees to the Natchez Trace Parkway or any of its facilities. Pets may use Parkway trails and viewpoints on a leash six feet or shorter, and the NPS asks you to clean up after them. The NPS pages we read give no swimming rule for the pool.

One closure affects the Parkway's north end, near its Northern Terminus. Milepost 437 to 440, in Williamson County, is closed for Double Arch Bridge construction from April 2026 to May 2027, per the NPS. Jackson Falls, at milepost 404.7, lies south of that stretch.

Northbound, the NPS detour leaves the Parkway at milepost 437. Turn left on Highway 96 West for 3.5 miles, then right on Highway 100 East for 3.5 miles to the Northern Terminus. Southbound, take Highway 100 West beneath the Northern Terminus for 3.5 miles. Then turn left on Highway 96 East for 3.5 miles and right onto the Parkway ramp.

The NPS adds that you can still drive from the Northern Terminus to Big Tree Overlook (milepost 440) and back. For other questions, call the Parkway at (662) 680-4027.

Machine Falls and Rutledge Falls near Tullahoma

Machine Falls is in Short Springs State Natural Area, about three and a half miles northeast of Tullahoma in Coffee County. TDEC says it "drops more than 60 feet and is nearly equal in length across." It is open, as far as we can tell: on Nov 6, 2026, TDEC's page said "Public access is allowed."

Parking shapes most visits here. TDEC calls it "extremely limited." When the designated spots are full, the site is at capacity, and you may not park in non-designated areas to enter. TDEC suggests weekdays or other non-peak times.

TDEC's page lists no trail length, fee, hours or swimming rule. The trail descends past exposed black Chattanooga shale, so expect an uphill walk back. Leashed dogs are allowed, per TDEC. The City of Manchester lists the area as open year-round during daylight hours. TDEC adds that Upper and Lower Busby Falls can be seen from overlooks on the Bobo Creek trail.

Rutledge Falls is on private land in Coffee County, and the owners keep it open to the public. TNVacation, the state tourism site, says "There is no fee to hike to the falls." On Nov 4, 2026, it listed the trail as open year-round, dawn to dusk. So it is open, as far as we can tell, though access stays at the owners' discretion.

TNVacation gives the walk as 0.2 mile with 29 feet of gain, rated easy to moderate. It doesn't say whether that is one way. Park across the road from Rutledge Falls Baptist Church. Leashed dogs are welcome, but TNVacation warns the terrain may be challenging for some pets. No official height is published.

TNVacation lists Rutledge at 70.3 miles from downtown Nashville. Our 63.3 miles is a straight line from the Census point, so the two numbers measure different things.

Both falls are near Tullahoma, so they pair easily. If the Short Springs lot is full, Rutledge is a nearby backup.

Cummins Falls or Burgess Falls: how they compare

Both parks sit near Cookeville, and Tennessee State Parks runs both. Burgess is 67.0 straight-line miles from Nashville and Cummins is 68.2. The main difference is water access. At Cummins you can reach the base and swim, with a permit. At Burgess the base is closed to hikers.

Cummins Falls: a permit for the gorge

Cummins Falls drops about 75 feet in tiers into a swimming hole on the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River, per Wikipedia citing Tennessee State Parks. Park entry is free. The overlook and the trails above the gorge need no permit, and the park page lists the Falls Overlook Trail at 0.45 miles.

Entering the gorge or reaching the base takes a Gorge Access Permit. It cost $7 at its 2020 launch, and later park material lists $6; we could not confirm the 2026 price. Sales end at 4 p.m. or when the daily cap is reached. Permits are non-refundable.

The gorge route crosses the river, with wading and slick rock, and the park rates gorge access hard. Swimming in the base pool is allowed when the gorge is open and conditions allow. Children 12 and under must be with an adult and wear a life jacket at the falls and in the water.

The gorge floods fast. The park warns that upstream rain can raise the water in minutes, and it posts a daily hazard rating. It suspended swimming on May 25, 2026 over rain risk. We found no closure after May 2026 as of Oct 18, 2026, so it is open, as far as we can tell. Check the park page on the day you go.

Burgess Falls: a loop to the overlook

Burgess Falls is the last and largest of four waterfalls on the Falling Water River, between Sparta and Cookeville. Wikipedia and the Friends of Burgess Falls give 136 feet; Tennessee State Parks pages list 103 or 136. Entry is free. A 1.5-mile round-trip loop, rated moderately strenuous, passes all four falls to the main overlook.

Burgess is partly open, per the April 3, 2026 park update we found. The overlook is open, but the stairs to the base were removed and the gorge is closed. Construction cut parking to the 54-space lower lot, with no trailers, RVs or buses. The park offers no land access to the water. Its website wasn't loading in late October 2026, so check it before you go.

Which one fits your trip

Pick Cummins if you want to reach the base and swim, can buy a permit ahead and are ready to wade on a hard route. Pick Burgess if you want a loop past four falls with no permit and no wading. For a short look, Cummins has its 0.45-mile overlook trail. Burgess has an ADA-accessible overlook of the smaller Little Falls near the parking area, per the Friends of Burgess Falls.

Fall Creek Falls: the tallest published height on this list

Fall Creek Falls drops 256 feet into a shaded pool, according to Tennessee State Parks. No falls on this list has a taller published height. Burgess (136 feet by most sources), Cummins (about 75) and Machine (more than 60) follow. No official height is published for Jackson or Rutledge.

TDEC's Division of Natural Areas calls it the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. Wikipedia words it differently: the highest free-fall waterfall east of the Mississippi. Other agencies make similar claims for taller falls, such as Upper Whitewater Falls in North Carolina.

You can see it without a hike. The main overlook sits beside a small parking lot on the park's scenic loop road in Van Buren County. The Base of Falls Trail starts there and runs about 0.35 mile each way, per the park's trail listing. It is rated Difficult, with a maximum grade of 26.2%.

Fall Creek Falls is open, as far as we can tell (checked Oct 24, 2026). The overlook is open, and the park's hiking page lists the base trail as open, with a note about erosion. That page was five to six months old when we checked. Piney Falls and Millikan's Overlook trails were listed as closed after an August 2023 tornado. The page also listed the Lower Loop Trail as closed.

There is no entry or parking fee; you pay only for extras such as the pool, golf, tours and lodging. Dogs need a six-foot leash. We found no official swimming rule for the base pool. The park points swimmers to its pool, which charges a fee, and to the swim area near the campground.

Fees, permits, dogs and swimming on these waterfall hikes

Four of the six are free, each per an official source. The NPS covers Jackson Falls, TNVacation covers Rutledge, and Tennessee State Parks covers Burgess and Fall Creek. Cummins is free to enter, but the gorge and base need a Gorge Access Permit. TDEC lists no fee for Machine Falls, though its page doesn't call it free.

Leashed dogs are allowed at all six, at least in part of each site. The NPS and Tennessee State Parks both set a limit of six feet. Cummins allows leashed pets in the park, but we could not confirm its rule for the gorge. Dogs are barred at Window Cliffs State Natural Area, a separate hike that Burgess manages.

Of the six, only Cummins offers official swimming at the base, in the pool when the gorge is open and conditions allow. TNVacation suggests Rutledge's swimming hole in summer, and no source mentions a lifeguard there. Burgess has no land access to the water. We found no official swimming rule for Jackson, Machine or Fall Creek.

Hours vary. Rutledge is open dawn to dusk, per TNVacation, and the City of Manchester lists Short Springs as open during daylight hours. In season, Cummins is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the gorge closing at 5 p.m. Off-season, the park closes at 4:30 p.m.

Wet rock is slick at every waterfall on this list, and the Cummins gorge can flood within minutes. Our waterfall safety guide covers slick rock, cold water and rising streams.

Waterfalls near Nashville: FAQ