This is the best lake in TN hands down! One of the cleanest in the United States and very deep…read more It's not filled with debris like some others in the middle Tennessee area and it has quite a few wonderful campgrounds/RV parks, for those who would like to travel here. The "city" of Smithville isn't exactly a booming place to be... Mostly closed or old buildings - very small, and unless you're camping, I wouldn't stay in the immediate area. But once you get to the lake, it's amazing! The campgrounds are well kept and fairly large. The lake itself winds around, snake-like, with cove after cove to play in or soak up the sun in. You want privacy? You got it! You want wakes? You have that too! The fishing must be outstanding considering the many tournaments they have there. My husband and I live closer to two other lakes, but we drive just over an hour to come to this one. We can't say enough great things about it!

You need a permit to walk all the way down to the falls and it is a very challenging hike. They…read morelimit the amount sold so it does sell out. The gorge does flood so def watch the safetyvide. we wouldn't have made it without out hiking poles. It was my first time using them but theybare game changer for hills and uneven terrain. We had to cross a river ... not creek. Climbing over rocks and boulders. River rocks are sooo slippery. Shoes should have good tread. This was challenging and truthful doubt I'd do it again. Water was cold. But falls are beautiful.

Cummins Falls State Park is located 10 miles north of the town of Cookeville, in Central Tennessee…read more Can you go swimming at Cummins Falls??? Of course you can! It's a 1 mile hike down to the bottom of a gorge to reach a swimming hole Travel and Leisure Magazine rates...as one of the "10 Best in the United States"! It's $7 to gain access to the gorge. You can purchase passes online ahead of time at tnstateparks.com. Or, you can buy passes inside the Visitor Center the day of, but they allot only 200 tickets per day so depending upon the time of year, passes can sell out quickly especially during peak summers. Now...there is a waterfall overlook to check out but I think it'd be more worthwhile to get to Cummins Falls ASAP before the crowds arrive and you can always visit the lookout on the return trip back up towards the trailhead. Once you reach the river area, it's 6/10th's of a mile remaining until you arrive at the falls. Also, make sure to hang towards the left while hiking beside the river and (imo) it's imperative to be wearing water shoes as the creek is filled with sharp rocks and water levels reaching shin high. While hiking to Cummins Falls, you really get a sense for being in the heart of nature. I enjoyed the setting. Approaching the falls, it's 75 feet of cascading waters flowing down the cliffside and ideal for swimming. Best of all, visitors can climb the rocks and explore at their leisure making for an adventurous experience. Of course, it's a rite of passage to finish the experience in style by going swimming. The park opens at 8am. I'd suggest arriving as early as possible before it gets busy. The park closes at 6pm but there's a clearly stated sign that visitors must exit the gorge area by 5pm. One extra note...lifeguards are on duty at Cummins Falls throughout the day. When returning back up towards the trailhead, now head over to the lookout platform getting to admire Cummins Falls from high above. It makes for a photogenic perspective and is a clear reminder of why the great outdoors can be so special. Right nearby Cummins Falls SP are more local waterfalls to check out including...Fall Creek Falls, Burgess Falls, Ozone Falls, Virgin Falls, Piney Falls and Stinging Fork Falls, just to name a few.

Very cool place awesome hike. Dipping in the water on a hot day was amazing. All kinds of beautiful…read morenature and sounds. Brought a publix sub from florida to enjoy out here

Rock Island State Park has a strange layout but is jam-packed with interesting sites. If you stop…read morein the Visitor Center, they have maps and written directions on how to hit the highlights easily. You can view different falls, cascades, flow stones, and more from short distance strolls to overlooks, or delve deeper into the gorge for a closer view. Swimming is not permitted except in certain areas, so take notice, people have drowned here. Be careful when hiking and exploring the floor of the gorge as the dam can release water with limited warning. That being said, the Twin Falls and Great Falls are lovely, and the diverse landscape keeps the walk extremely interesting! Me and the dog did the Upstream and Downstream trails on the Twin Falls side, and the Gorge Trail on the Great Falls side, and while Dianne, they are steep and slippery, so wear proper shoes!

Rented a 30Ft pontoon with slide Saturday Aug 8th. The Pontoon was filthy actual Mud or something…read morebrown all over a couple surfaces could see foot prints through it, hadnt been washed in who knows how long. One couch was ripped. For $1200 daily rental expected much better kept equipment.

Restaurant is nice food ok. Food is a. It over priced for the quality. Its not fresh but its ok…read more Nice ambience. I would return

All the people who work there are very sweet people. Helpful for beginners and patient with kiddos…read more :)

We were in town from Jacksonville, Florida visiting family and wanted to explore so we booked our…read morekayaks the day before to ensure we wouldn't miss out on time slots. The family owned operation was extremely helpful and kind. I would definitely recommend this business to anyone and everyone. We look forward to returning soon to do it again. The views were amazing and the water was perfect for a nice swim in the middle. We also stumbled upon some cows about half way through as well. Super awesome! After we were done with our kayak trip we went next door to have lunch and the food was also amazing and no complaints. Thanks guys!!

David (owner) has a really impressive inventory of live bait and some good artificial lures as…read morewell. Crickets, minnows, worms, etc. He also has affordable prices for the average fisherman. Good place to stock up on stuff - and my grandkids love the crickets!

From the owner: We provide live and artificial bait for all your fishing needs at a convenient location.read more

Is your ideal July 4th spent on a cool, mountain river? Are you looking to cool off on a hot summer…read moreday? The Caney Fork River is about 1 hour east of Nashville, TN and is the perfect spot for a quick day trip. We used the CanoeTheCaney.com service from JBeez Watercraft in Silver Point, TN and were very pleased. This is not the closest place to the river, but it is conveniently located one mile from I-40 at Exit 273. JBeez has modern, air conditioned buses that take you from their location to the drop-off point just below Center Hill Dam. They also pick you up 5 miles down river and shuttle you back to your vehicle. The staff is very friendly and their process is fairly efficient for a "laid back" canoe rental service. The Caney Fork River is just an awesome place to spend the day. Since the water is generated from the bottom of Center Hill Lake, the river stays a cool 54 degrees year round. This makes it perfect for place to cool off on those hot summer days and a great place for trout fishing. If you arrive early to the Happy Hollow pick-up, it is not a problem. This is a nice shallow spot on the river for you to spend a few minutes splashing around while waiting for your ride. We really enjoyed our family visit to the Caney Fork on July 4th this year...Thank you JBeez!

Rented a Wave Runner here for a day earlier this summer. Good service - the check in took a while…read morebut once you've been here once I believe they will deliver to you dockside - and they meet you back at the marina and haul it all away, easy as pie. Be a bit careful with the add-on charges, that ran up the bill a bit - but no major gripe, it's a good operation and they're easy to deal with.

Did a quick stop to visit this beautiful park. You have to hike a little to get to the different…read morefalls, but nothing too strenuous. It was a hot day which wasn't that fun, but once we got to the falls it was nice to take in the view and relax. We went midday in the middle of the week so it was not busy... I am guessing during the weekend it would get packed. Note that parking is limited, so either get there early or go when we went. Would I go back? Yes.

This is Burgess Falls, another state park located in Central Tennessee sitting 12 miles northwest…read moreof the town of Sparta, TN. There's a 3/4 of a mile out and back hike called the River Trail that leads to 4 different waterfall lookout points comprising Burgess Falls SP. Waterfall #1 - The Cascades. Sort of the introduction area to the park. Waterfall #2 - First Falls. A quick glance at a 30 foot high waterfall section. But nothing special, imo. When Continuing on the trail, you'll cross over a wooden bridge and follow up a staircase. Now at... Waterfall #3 - Middle Falls... Middle Falls is 80 feet high and partially obstructed by trees and branches having grown over time. *Side Note*.... I wish park services would do some forest cutting for everyone to enjoy clearer views of the park's waterfalls. Entrance right now is free. I'd suggest charging a small fee and using that money to pay for some grooming. A lot of the observation points can't be fully appreciated. Just me venting a little, lol. Waterfall #4 - Burgess Falls... Burgess falls is the centerpiece highlight of the park. Standing at 136 feet from top to bottom, Burgess Falls can absolutely be dramatic, but still natural excess forest maturation disrupts full visibility of the falls. I did read that kayaking at the bottom of Burgess Falls is the most interactive way to come face to face with this statuesque waterfall. You can rent kayaks at Cane Hollow Recreation Area, located at the end of Cane Hollow Road. It's about 10 minutes from Burgess Falls. You can end the River Trail hike at the Top of Burgess for a panoramic overlook of the rugged gorge the falls splash down into from high above. It's another quick stop and go area before returning back towards the trailhead. Overall, Burgess Falls was a muted experience for me, but still has potential to be a rewarding visit if park authorities can maintain the inevitable growing forest hindrances that negate special moments at the waterfall overlooks.

Great experience! My family took me for Father's Day and it…read morewas perfect. The staff, the shuttles, and gear were A+. I wouldn't change a thing. Thank y'all for the awesome memories and we'll definitely be back soon!

This is the falls on the day we went.... YEAH... I wouldn't recommend on a day where the guide has…read moreno in-site on it being like this... and never told my husband he MUST have water shoes to be able to enjoy the trip. We had to walk our kayak up river and the bottom of the lake/ river is full of jagged rocks, barely able to walk on with shoes This was intense.... And the guide acted like they had idea it was like this from a "random" rain north of them. We had fun but go during a drought, for the love of god. Or give folks a refund to try again. This kind of sucked. You can't get with in a 1/4 of a mile of the falls when it's like this. And with kids... that was a major let down.