Burgess Falls

1 hour and 20 minutes from Nashville

1 mile hike

I want to love Burgess Falls more. To no fault of their own, they go down in the rankings because of their inaccessible trail. You used to be able to take steps down to the bottom of the falls, but that trail has been closed for quite some time due to heavy rain and damage. They actually removed all the steps in recent years.

The Hike

The 1ish mile round-trip hike is still beautiful, and 135 ft tall Burgess Falls are impressive. It can be a great trip for a family or for those who aren’t looking for a long, heartrate-increasing hike. There are 2 smaller waterfalls that you pass during your hike. You do get a great reward with very little effort.

Smaller waterfall during Burgess Falls hike, Tennessee

One of the smaller falls during your hike

I have read about being able to kayak or canoe to the base of the falls. Google didn’t help me much with this, so if you do this, please let me know about it! I’d love to check it out someday.

Parking can be difficult during the summer so plan to arrive early or possibly wait for a parking spot. Restrooms are available.

I would recommend combining Burgess Falls with other waterfalls in the area. If not, I don’t know that they’re worth a long trip. Maybe I just hate being told I can’t do something and am salty about not being able to hike down to the falls. Sorry, Burgess Falls. You really are beautiful.

You could check out Cummins Falls or Rock Island State Park. Both are 30 minutes from Burgess Falls and would make for a longer, more waterfall-filled day. For all 8 Best Waterfall Hikes near Nashville, check out this post. And if you want to keep being active in Nash, this post covers the free and cheap yoga in the city.

4000 Burgess Falls Drive
Sparta, TN 38583

Check out Burgess Falls near Nashville, Tennessee

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