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!

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!!

I love Cane Creek! Great walking trails? Beautiful lake to walk around! Excellent choice for a week…read moreday hike or the paddle boats are fun in the summer! Bring some bread and feed the ducks! Enjoy the weather and the beauty of nature that God gave us!

Great place to walk, bike, canoe or otherwise enjoy the outdoors. Not too far from anywhere in…read morethe city. Leaves are starting to change from the recent cold spell but today it has warmed up nicely!!

A nice piece of greenery in Hermitage, Tennessee. The park is located at the intersection of two…read morebusy roads, so this park will never recreate the feeling as if you were away from it all. No, the sound of continuous traffic crushes that illusion, but that traffic, that hustle and bustle, is exactly why we need parks, both big and small, to simply just get some grass under our feet and decompress. The center point of the park is the Hermitage Park Sundial, a sculpture by Joe Sorci called Clear for Landing made of aircraft wings. All in all, pretty cool and I am glad I got to stand before it. One thing that stood out, at least to me, was a child scrawling "Lena was here" in a child's scrawl. Hopefully this park will remain within her memories throughout her life, a place of happy summertime laughter and the simple joy of childhood. The park also boasts a community center. Again, a tie to bond the people it serves. All on all, this park serves this community well. While there are drawbacks, the park stands in defiance of urban sprawl or perhaps it stands in celebration of a growing city, serving as a respite from the concrete and asphalt. I am glad that I visited. While perhaps I did not write my name on the sidewalk, like that child named Lena, I was here and I am better for it.

What a great find!…read more This park is a perfect spot to enjoy the few days of sunshine we have during the winter months. There are two jungle gyms, multiple swing sets and a volley ball court. There's also a few sand pits for kids to play in and dig for fossils. The parking here is tight, but there are two lots. I would recommend the lot near the rec center, there are way more available spots. Looking to have a picnic? You're in luck!, there is plenty of open space and a ton of picnic tables. Make sure to take a walk on the wooden tree bridge near the center of the park!

Love this hike! We went on a rainy day, hardly anyone on the trail. It was too chilly to swim, but…read moreevery portion of the trail was gorgeous!!! Can't wait to go back!!

Absolutely beautiful!! I went with my neighbors and we had a great time! The virgin falls is huge…read moreand it's stunning, we are going back and camping nearby. Can't get enough!

This was a special date night for 10 couples. We all had a great dinner and were anticipating…read morepainting our masterpieces. Our Smyrna Parks representative "Elianna" and her helpers were awesome. They were kind and patient. The made sure we all had everything we need to complete our paintings. I would love to do it again next year.

We love this park!!! When we come here. My son will play here for a minimum of 3 hours. He probably…read morecould stay here all day if he could. I love that it's so big and has so much stuff for kids to do and play. I love that most of the newer playgrounds no longer have woodchips. This makes it much safer for little ones to run around. We will definitely be back.

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.

Always a fun place for all ages. Playground, creek, splash pad and ball fields…read more Well lighted and safe.

Just moved to SH & was excited to bring my kids here today. Lots to do including splash pad, fun…read moreplayground & bb courts

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!

An awesome day use park. Free WiFi and very clean, well kept grounds. Everyone is extremely nice.read more

Clean, spacious park with a beach & swimming area (with borrowable life jackets) on one side & a…read morefloating dock with a boat ramp on the other side. Grills, picnic tables, playground, swings, 2 volleyball courts and walking paths for everyone to enjoy. $5/day or $40/year. All passes are good at all local Cordell Hull Lake Day-use parks and any other parks managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers.