Visiting Burgess Falls State Park (Everything You Need to Know)

Burgess Falls State Park is one of Tennessee’s many state parks that feature waterfalls. As my family is slowly making our way through all the state parks, we spent a morning at Burgess Falls during spring break. 

Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about Burgess Falls plus how our visit went  with small children in tow. 

Quick Facts

History

The area was first used for hunting by Cherokee, Creek, and Chickasaw Native American tribes. In the 19th century, the Falling River was used to power a gristmill and sawmill owned by the Burgess family and later provided hydroelectric power for Cookeville.

To protect the forest and water, the area became a designated Tennessee State Natural Area in 1973.

In 2017, the Window Cliffs State Natural Area also opened to the public. While this additional area is managed by Burgess Falls State Park, the entrances are 8 miles apart, and the two areas do not have connected access.

As of October 2025, the park is in the midst of the construction of a new visitor center. During this time, the upper parking lot is closed, and finding space to park on busy days can be an issue.

Activities

Hiking

Like most people, hiking was at the top of our agenda while visiting Burgess Falls State Park because we wanted to see the park’s four waterfalls. 

The River Trail is a 1.5-mile round-trip hike that goes past all four waterfalls and takes you to the bottom of the main falls. It is a strenuous hike. However, you can take the service road back to the parking lot to make the hike a bit easier.

We accidentally did our hike the opposite way because I was hiking with a baby carrier and was nervous about the steps on the River Trail. We took the service road directly to the main waterfall. It was an easy walk, and we originally planned to skip the other waterfalls and just take the service road back. 

However, I was feeling more confident with the carrier by then, so we took the River Trail back and saw the rest of the waterfalls. I don’t necessarily recommend that order, but it was doable.

The other trail at Burgess Falls is the Ridge Top Trail. This trail is less difficult and has views of the river.

Paddling

It is possible to paddle to the base of the main falls. However, you can’t do this from within Burgess Falls State Park. 

To access the falls from the water, you have to kayak from the Cane Hollow Boat Ramp. You can bring your own kayak, rent a kayak, or book a guided kayak trip to get to the base of the falls.

Events

Burgess Falls State Park hosts many events throughout the year including wildflower hikes and canoe floats. There are multiple events happening every single month, so be sure to check the park’s calendar when planning your visit!

Should You Visit?

I knew that Burgess Falls State Park was popular, and I see why people love visiting! The falls are so beautiful. And, it’s nice that there’s a good way to get to the falls via the service road if the River Trail is too difficult for you. 

Burgess Falls is absolutely worth visiting!

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Thanks for reading! If you’d like to see all the Tennessee State Parks we’ve visited so far (and get some more recommendations), check out this article!

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