On our days off, Mr. Handsome and I enjoy spending time in the great outdoors. We love Tennessee because it is usually warm enough to be comfortable outside from March through November. When the hot weather hits, one of my favorite places to visit is Cummins Falls in Cookeville.
Located about an hour east of Nashville, Cummins Falls is best described as a natural water park. It truly is unique, and the best part is that it’s free! We make a point of going at least once or twice a year, and we love taking our family and friends. The hike to the waterfall is half a mile. The first leg takes you down to water level, and then you’ll walk through a shallow river to the base of the falls. The water in the river is clear and teeming with small fish, which makes for a beautiful stroll. Be sure to wear waterproof shoes with good traction.
The real jaw dropper comes when you arrive at the waterfall. And after hiking 30-45 minutes in the Tennessee humidity, the water feels so good! Cummins Falls has significantly grown in popularity since we moved to the area three years ago. When we came for the first time in 2015, we nearly had the whole place to ourselves, but once the Nashville newspaper got word of this hidden gem, the crowds started pouring in.
Visiting first thing in the morning is best, and as with any attraction, weekdays are better than weekends. Still, we are surprised by how many of our friends have grown up in the area and have never experienced it. Below is a short video that we made during our excursion to the falls this week.
Wow, I wished I would’ve known you were so close to run down and see you! I was in Cookeville several times this week myself 🙂 yes, the falls have become so busy…we haven’t been there for awhile because of that…And please keep safe! That place has been known to have taken quite a few lives already…
How fun, Candi! Unfortunately we’ve heard about the deaths, too. Recently, they have had a pretty good park ranger/lifeguard presence, and they provide life jackets, which is great to see.
Ellie
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/tennessee-state-park-called-really-dangerous
Yep, there are risks with anything. That article was written three years ago, though. Lots of additional safety precautions have been taken since then. They have hired more rangers and a lifeguard, and life jackets are provided (required for children). It’s a well-run operation, and they close the gates now, to prevent people from sneaking in after hours. (That was the cause of some of the injuries.) But you definitely need to be careful.
Try Windows Cliff, near Burgess Falls in cookeville area. It is a fairly new established park. You cross water 9 times, so don’t go after heavy rains or take really small children. Well worth the hike.
Thanks for the recommendation, Leigh. We will have to check that out. Do you live in the area?
Ellie
Ellie- I live in the Nashville area, but like you and Mr. Handsome, my husband and I are always up for an outdoor adventure. Burgess Falls is beautiful with an easy 1 mile hike to a viewing area of the falls, but you can continue further if you are willing…many do. Windows Cliff is not like a hike we have ever done. The friends of the park have left walking sticks at the entrance of the 2.7ish mile trail and I suggest using one if you do not have your own for steadiness as you cross the streams even though there are cables to help you across– there are slippery rocks, much like Cummins. (Some of the streams flooded quickly a year or so ago when Cummins Falls had the flash flood but the highest one was just to my knees when we hiked after several dry days.) There is one area that is really grassy with only a 1-2 foot wide path which is kinda eerie, but most of the trail is similar to many of the trails we have hiked in the Tn area. I do suggest to go all the way to the end of the trail and look at the view from the cliffs(not on top of them.) Supposedly one of the “windows” collapsed a few years ago, and I anticipate the others will follow suit in the years to come. If yall are history buffs (I am not, but hubby is) we just went to Shiloh National Battlefield via the Natchez trace…Pretty cool road trip that ended with an up close view of an eagle and its nest in the park. Thank you for sharing your life. May God continue to bless you and your Mr. Handsome. PS That was much longer than it should be—no need to post all that; it will bore your readers.
Not boring at all. I appreciate the recommendations! We are always looking for new things to see and do. And I do have a number of readers who live in the Nashville area, so I’m sure your comment will be helpful to them. I also hear from tourists looking for places to visit, as well. Have you made it to the Stones River Battlefield in Murfreesboro? If your hubby is a history guy, he would enjoy that. It’s a nice walk through the battlefield, and you can see indents where the Civil War trenches were. Pretty neat that they are still visible.
Very neat, I would only go in upstream!
Thank You Ellie for sharing your outing with Mr. Handsome. God Bless.
Marilyn