The Highest Waterfall East of the Rockies

is in the largest state park in Tennessee, Fall Creek Falls State Park. So we went there this morning.

Driving east and then south the hills began to roll more and more. The roads entering the park had us switchback up one side and then down the other side of a very good-sized hill.

We parked and dressed for the hike to the falls--it was in the low 40s so some outerwear was important. We found the trail to the falls behind the visitor center. First took a side trail to the cascades below the falls.

Then the trail to the falls took us on a swinging bridge over the entrance to the cascades, up one and down a hill, across the two streams that feed the falls.

Around the far side for a spectacular view from an overlook.

There seemed to be more people at the overlook than we saw on the trail, looking not nearly as tired from their walk. We watched some of them as they left the overlook walk down a path different from the one we just took. They were returning to their cars parked in a lot not 100 steps from the overlook! But we had the experience of hiking the trail to the overlook. And the hike back to the car.

The return trip to Hermitage that afternoon took us out of the park on the same scenic road that we took in. But instead of taking the interstate we got on US 70, the old road from Nashville to Knoxville. Off the interstate we saw a few farms, mostly livestock. A few small towns and of course a reservoir or two.

Great drive, great walk, great scenery, great day.