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Located near Spencer Tennessee, just about an hour’s drive from Manchester, Fall Creek Falls State Park offers up more than 29,800 acres of the Volunteer State’s wild outdoors to explore.

Situated in two counties, Fall Creek Falls is not only one of the largest parks in the Tennessee State Park System, but also one of the most visited.

Assistant Park Manager Devin Simmons said Fall Creek Falls welcomes between 2 million and 2.5 million people each year.

“This is one of the most if not the most visited state park in Tennessee and one of the most visited parks in the southeast, so we do get a lot of visitors throughout the year and it hovers somewhere in that 2 million range,” he said.

Simmons said the park, which features five major waterfalls as a significant attraction, has an interesting history.

“This park is kind of unique in the fact that it was originally designated as a National Recreation Demonstration Area, so it was managed and funded by the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior,” Simmons said. “That ran from 1935 until 1944 and in 1944 management was turned over to the state.”

Fall Creek Falls was officially reclassified as a Tennessee State Resort Park in 1972.

“All that basically means is we have the backcountry elements that most people think of with a state park, as far as backcountry trails, hiking, waterfalls, but we also have front country amenities like the lodge and the golf course, cabins and things like that,” Simmons said.

In addition to the park lodge which opened in 2022, Fall Creek Falls also features a developed campsite with more than 220 sites as well as primitive and back country camping.

With the Cane Creek Watershed flowing through the park it has created several to be enjoyed. These include Piney Falls, Rockhouse Falls, Raccoon Creek Falls, Cane Creek Falls, Cane Creek Cascades and the 256 ft. Fall Creek Falls.

“It is the tallest waterfall this side of the Rocky Mountains, and so that is the big draw and obviously the namesake of the park,” Simmons said.

While a dry October has meant less water than usual coming over the falls, Simmons said those that want to see Fall Creek Falls at its most active should plan to visit the park sometime during the spring.

“October is typically the driest month of the year for us, and so this year has been a little drier than normal, so there is not a lot of water flowing right now, but if you can catch it in the springtime especially after some heavy rains it is pretty impressive,” he said.

Other natural resources featured at the park include more than 16,000 acres of Class II Natural Area and 12,500 acres of certified old-growth forest.

“That is pretty unique, especially for the southeast because so much of our area has been logged over at some point in time,” Simmons said.

Fall Creek Falls State Park is also home to an underground cave system with hundreds of caves. While most of these are off limits to park visitors, there are caves open on a free permit system that can be explored.

“There is rock climbing here, there is a 365-acre lake, so there is just a lot of opportunities here for recreation and getting out and exploring the park and spending some time in nature,” Simmons said.

When it comes to hiking, Fall Creek Falls has more than 50 miles of trails offering up something for hikers of all skill levels.

While for some, late fall and early winter might not seem like the best time of year to get out for a hike, Simmons said the winter months are one of his favorite times to enjoy the trails.

“Really in a lot of ways I love to be on the trails in the wintertime, you don’t see the trees in leaf, you don’t see the flowers in bloom but it is a great opportunity to see wildlife, especially birds if folks are into birding at all,” he said. “I will also tell you that you just get that extra little bit of privacy that comes with it.”

When it comes to beginner hikers or families looking to enjoy a day on the trails, Simmons has a recommendation that will take them through some of Fall Creek Falls most popular areas.

“I call it our greatest hits tour,” Simmons said.

After parking at the park’s nature center, visitors can enjoy the nature center and learn some of the history of Fall Creek Falls as well as the flora, fauna and wildlife visitors might encounter there. From there Cane Creek Falls can be viewed, while hikers will then cross a suspension bridge over Cane Creek Cascades which ties into the park’s 0.9-mile Woodland Trail.

“The Woodland Trail will take you to Fall Creek Falls, where you can view that waterfall and then on your way back you can take the (1.2-mile) Gorge Overlook Trail which basically makes a loop that comes out to be just a hair over two miles,” Simmons said.

In addition to passing by four of the park’s waterfalls, hikers will also get to pass through the park’s Hemlock stands and hardwood forest.

“It is a good kind of microcosm for the entire park itself,” Simmons said. “That is a very easy hike, it is a very accessible hike for families and for folks new to hiking to do as well.”

For more information about Fall Creek Falls State Park, visit https://tnstateparks.com/parks/fall-creek-falls.