Outbound Collective logo

Hike the Falls Loop Trail in South Cumberland State Park

Altamont, Tennessee

4.5/5
based on 2 reviews

Details

Distance

3.2 miles

Elevation Gain

500 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Alyssa Teboda

This 3.2 mile loop tucked away in Tennessee's South Cumberland State Park leads you to 3 amazing waterfalls. You'll hike in a covered forest along Firescald Creek. Gorgeous scenery even on a rainy day!

Nestled in the Savage Gulf State Natural Area, the popular Falls Loop Trail begins across from the Greeter Falls parking lot. At 0.4 miles into the hike you'll reach a fork in the trail, take the left route towards Boardtree Falls. Right before reaching the waterfall you'll come upon a suspension bridge hanging over Firescald Creek which connects to Greeter Trail. The bridge is a great spot to take photos before heading back up the Falls Loop Trail a short distance to Boardtree Falls.

Continuing past the first waterfall the trail opens up and soon 40 foot sandstone cliffs rise to your right. After winding through the shaded forest and cliffs for 0.4 miles you will reach a fork in the trail leading to Upper Greeter Falls on the right and Lower Greeter Falls on the left. Lower Greeter Falls is the grander of the two waterfalls, so save that for your last stop. Be careful when hiking down to Lower Greeter Falls especially in wet weather conditions, you will be descending a metal spiral staircase that can get slippery but at the bottom you are presented with an amazing view of the 50-foot waterfall.

If you're up for a short hike through lush shaded forests, towering sandstone cliffs, along a serene creek, with multiple waterfalls, then this is the hike for you!

Read More

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Chillin
Photography
Hiking
Dog Friendly
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Forest
River
Scenic
Waterfall

Reviews

Went to all 3 areas today (June 24, 2021) & it was a great experience. Broadtree falls wasn’t really flowing which is okay, it was still very pretty & the suspension bridge is fun to walk on. Greeter Falls was amazing & I had the whole area to myself for about 2 hours. (I got there by 8:30am) Getting to the lower falls could be harsh on someone with bad knees or someone who doesn’t do well with rocks + steep. I didn’t go into the swimming hole at the last stop but I did sit & enjoy my lunch on a rock.

My wife and I loved Boardtree Falls so much that we didn't even continue to Greeter Falls. We just relaxed there for a few hours.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Greeter Falls and Blue Hole

Hike to Stone Door and Alum Gap Campground

Hike to Suter and Horsepound Falls

Hike the North Plateau-North Rim Loop at Savage Gulf

Savage Falls Trail

Firey Gizzard, Dog Hole and Ravens Point