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.

The Domes & Dripstones Tour at Mammoth Cave National Park was easily one of the highlights of our…read moretrip to Kentucky. If you're looking for a cave tour that combines incredible scenery, fascinating geology, and a bit of a workout, this is the one to book. The ranger-guided tour is well organized and packed with interesting information about the cave's history, formations, and the natural processes that shaped this underground world over millions of years. The descent into the cave through the natural sinkhole entrance is an adventure in itself, and while the 638-640 stairs sound intimidating, they're absolutely worth it. The highlight for us was Frozen Niagara. The stunning collection of stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and delicate cave curtains is unlike anything we've ever seen. It's amazing to think these formations were created one drop of water at a time over thousands of years. Throughout the tour, the massive domes and enormous passageways constantly reminded us why Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave system. The guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to answer questions, making the experience both educational and enjoyable. The cave's constant 54-degree temperature also makes it a comfortable activity no matter the season. Be prepared for plenty of stairs and wear comfortable shoes, but don't let that discourage you. The tour is paced well, with opportunities to stop and admire the scenery along the way. If you're visiting Mammoth Cave National Park, the Domes & Dripstones Tour is an unforgettable experience and one we would enthusiastically recommend to anyone looking for a memorable underground adventure. Five stars! Check out our video on our socials @reessroots

I wish I just day tripped it and did not spend money to stay the night. I was travelling solo and…read morethis was my last stop before heading back to Maryland. I was arriving from St. Louis. I booked one of the historic cottages to stay the night and planned on hanging out in the bar on site. When I first arrived my cottage wasn't ready to check in yet and I still had a couple hours until my tour. I went to the restaurant and sat at the bar. I was informed that they did not have a bartender but the servers were rotating serving the guests at the bar. I was promptly greeted by the waitress but ultimately moved to a table because the chairs are not tall enough for the height of the bar. It would have been extremely awkward and uncomfortable to eat up there. I had a salad and sweet potato fries and two IPA beers. Everything was delicious and the service was great. I went on the Historic Cave tour which was great. I wish I remembered the rangers name who gave the tour because he was amazing and hilarious! After the tour we (another solo traveler and I) planned to go to the bar and grab a drink before she hit the road for her next stop. Upon arrival to the restaurant, the bar was open but the host (who admitted he was new and did not know what he was doing) refused to let us sit there. He said there was no bartender. I told him earlier they allowed people to sit there and the servers helped. He said they only had 3 servers so he handed us a buzzer to wait for a table. The restaurant had half of its tables open. She decided she didn't want to wait so she left. I was then frustrated because I did not want to sit at a table alone again so I ordered food to go and ate in my cabin. There is no service in the cabins because you are in the middle of nowhere. As a solo female traveler I rely on meeting people at restaurants by sitting at the bar. This on site restaurant clearly was not staffed well enough to accommodate their guests in the middle of the summer when everyone is travelling. The other stores that served coffee and ice cream were closed by the time I finished my 3:30 tour. The prices in the gift shop were extremely high and I refused to pay for a magnet that was $12.00. I ended up going to bed super early and hit the road at 3 am because there was nothing else to do. For these reasons and more, I would have preferred to come for my tour and left to stay somewhere else.

Pictures do not do this campground justice! This is an absolutely beautiful campground that has…read moreplenty of shade trees, and spacious camp spaces. The bathhouses are clean and well maintained, and there is so much to do in the area! Despite there being a lot of kids, this campground is relatively quiet and very relaxing! The roads are well maintained, the grounds are just beautiful (I know I keep saying that). This is one of my top 5 favorite campgrounds EVER!!

I'll make it short & sweet. July 15, 2026, I called Reservations (can't remember the name of the…read moregirl who took my reservations, although I wrote it down somewhere but when I hear it, I'll know it) & booked the dates of July 18th, Saturday, to July 21st, Tuesday of 2026; B65 was the location. I explained to the female that I had trouble with self-reservation online & I couldn't see the rest of the information in the dropdown box whenever I clicked, what looked like a location was available or as I understood it to be available. She took my reservation, REPEATED IT BACK to me correctly (in between putting me on hold about 2 or 3 times) and then gave me the price. I paid for it and she sent the email confirmation. I looked at the email and saw the date I called, the time & "18th - 21st." Cool. That Saturday morning of July 18th, I drove over 9 hours (got lost a little bit because of highway construction and GPS) but made it there. Went to the office lobby, gave my name & the campground location. "Brandy" is what the front desk girl asked me as my name. "No..." I responded and repeated my name. Well, long story short, she said Brandy had my spot, I was offered another location, I took it, showed her my confirmation and saw that the reservation girl had listed me as "Tuesday, August 18, 2026 arrival" and departure "Friday, August 21, 2026." I told the young lady at the desk of the conversation of my reservation and stated that although I didn't notice the month and days were incorrect, the reservationist spoke it correctly, so that's what I saw. The part that really got me, she said I had to pay $17.00 extra to go to the new location. I refused. I have worked in hospitality for years and I know how it works. I told her I wasn't upset with her but I shouldn't have to pay for their mistake. I asked for a refund. Then I drove another 10 or so hours back home (because of traffic & getting lost trying to leave Spencer, TN). I'm just now leaving this review because I tried to forget what happened but each time someone asked me, who hadn't seen me since I returned, how my vacation went, as I replay the scenario, my emotional feelings of frustration, some anger & the memory of how exhausted I was, returns. I slept for 2 days because I had missed so much sleep just driving to TN then immediately returning home. Will I ever return to this campground? I doubt it. NO, I shall not. No one even apologized to me. All I heard was, "That'll be $17.00." My response, "17.00 for what? I'm paying?" Nooooo, I believe I'm done. Thanks for reading.

One of the best welcome centers we have been to-- and we have been to a lot!…read moreThe beautiful flowers outside makes the place look more like a botanical garden than a welcome center. The cut out of Dolly inside made us smile, as did the clean bathrooms. They had cute rocking chairs and a fire place and lots of books and brochures I saw people taking. They had a separate building with ice, vending machines and a coffee machine to purchase coffee. Lots of smiling faces due to the cleanliness!

Facilities clean/smelt good I heard an employee kindly…read moreaddress another person, sounded like he gave helpful information. Everywhere I looked there was info on how to be more vigilant and encouraged nonsmoking. Pet walk was nice and maintained. Always impressed with how welcome centers always have their employees maintain their spaces.

This was our second time here. I am always impressed by TN State Parks. Clean bathrooms, friendly…read morestaff, it can make a big difference in your day. We did some fishing, but no catching haha. We napped in the sun, and watched boats and birds go by. While we did not go up the tower or in the wildlife area, we thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing day here. It's a little early in the year, so we didnt see too many people. One note, the two bathrooms we used both had stairs. Im sure they have bathrooms that can be accessed without stairs, but I didn't see them. One note, there are picnic tables near the road to one of the boat ramps. As I was driving through a small child ran out in front of me from between to parallel parked cars. No big deal, I was driving like an old lady, but highky recommend keeping an eye out if you drive through there.

To be fully transparent, we didn't get too far in, just the visitor center with the really cool…read moreobservation tower (it just keeps going and going...) and the Highland Rim Trail, but it felt like a lot! The park has access to a river beach across from a neat dam, where kids were having a great time lifting big rocks and heaving them into the water. The trail was rather steep, went down pretty quickly, flattened for a while, then sharply inclined back up. All in all, I get the feeling we need to return and do a little more, but I like what I see so far!!

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is a wonderful location for getting away for the…read moreweekend, or linger. They have individual campsites and group campsites with a pavilion and restrooms with showers, and a group campfire area. It is a beautiful area and perfect for people traveling with horses that line to camp and ride. Follow me on Yelp for more things to see and do in East Tennessee.

If you like the Red River George?this it's Big Big brother…read more We spent 3 days hiking & enjoyed ever bit of it. Place is well known for white water rafting. Only drawback was, We here early April & lots of stores were open for season yet.