Cumberland Plateau and Escarpment
44 waterfalls · Van Buren County, Rhea County, Hamilton County, Grundy County, Marion County, Cumberland County, Bledsoe County, Morgan County, Fentress County, Scott County, and White County
The plateau is Tennessee's waterfall heartland. Fall Creek Falls drops into a deep, forested gorge in one of the state's largest parks, with an overlook above and a trail down to the plunge pool. Foster Falls, in Marion County, falls over a sandstone rim into a cliff-lined amphitheater, and Ozone Falls in Cumberland County plunges off a ledge close to the highway. Along the escarpment above the Tennessee River valley, Rhea and Hamilton counties hold numerous gorge falls, including Falling Water Falls near Chattanooga. Ruby Falls, inside Lookout Mountain, offers a cave tour to an underground waterfall rather than a hike.
Start with: Ruby Falls, Fall Creek Falls, Ozone Falls, Foster Falls, Falling Water Falls
Highland Rim and Central Basin Edge
26 waterfalls · Coffee County, Jackson County, Putnam County, Maury County, Hickman County, Lawrence County, Lewis County, Warren County, DeKalb County, Cannon County, Lincoln County, and Hardin County
Below and west of the plateau, the Highland Rim is a limestone upland whose edges are notched by gorges. Burgess Falls in Putnam County spills into a sheer-walled limestone gorge, and Cummins Falls in Jackson County drops into a broad pool surrounded by rocky ledges that draw swimmers. Coffee County, around Manchester and Tullahoma, holds the most listings in the state, including Machine Falls, a wide cascade in a protected natural area. On the western Highland Rim, Stillhouse Hollow Falls in Maury County and falls in Hickman, Lewis and Lawrence counties are smaller drops in quiet, wooded hollows.
Start with: Cummins Falls, Burgess Falls, Machine Falls, Stillhouse Hollow Falls State Natural Area, Bluehole Falls
Great Smoky Mountains and Unaka Range
18 waterfalls · Sevier County, Carter County, Unicoi County, Monroe County, Polk County, Blount County, Cocke County, and Johnson County
Along the North Carolina line, the mountains of the Blue Ridge province rise far above the rest of the state and catch abundant rain. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Laurel Falls near Gatlinburg is among the park's most visited destinations, and Hen Wallow Falls, reached from the Cosby area in Cocke County, fans out over a rock face in rhododendron forest. Benton Falls in Polk County lies in the Cherokee National Forest, while Carter, Unicoi and Johnson counties hold falls in the Roan Mountain area and the high country of northeast Tennessee. These falls flow over ancient, hard rock and often sit in lush, moss-covered settings.
Start with: Benton Falls, Laurel Falls, Hen Wallow Falls, Abrams Falls, Twisting Falls
