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Photo: P. Hughes / CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Lakes & rivers

Fall Creek Falls

Spencer, TN · Cumberland Plateau, Middle TennesseeFreeFree; Tennessee state parks charge no access fee

About

Near Spencer, Tennessee, Fall Creek leaves the plateau and falls 256 feet into a pool at the bottom of its gorge. A short trail goes down from the parking lot to the base, and the climb back out is steep.

Highlights

256 feet, Tennessee's highest waterfallSteep 0.35-mile trail to the baseWheelchair-friendly overlooksLoop road closes at dark

Getting there

2009 Village Camp Road, Spencer, TN 38585

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Best Waterfalls in the US15 places

Best Waterfalls in the US

Yosemite Falls is the tallest in North America, and by August it can be dry. Most of these run on snowmelt and are fullest in spring. By late summer, irrigation upstream can take Shoshone down to a trickle. Burney and Havasu are spring-fed, so the month doesn't matter there.