March 6, 2010 It’s a beautiful spring day in Middle Tennessee, and I find myself, improbably, here in Fall Creek Falls State Park. After spending several days interviewing for a job in nearby McMinnville, I’m testing out the recreational options in this new area, in order to determine if it will be OK to live here after having lived within view of the incomparable Rockies for the last 15 years. I have my park map from the internet, and I keep an eye on it as I drive through the tree-lined roads of the park, on the lookout for Fall Creek Falls. The road I want to go down to park is closed off due to a race. No problem. I continue on and park at the lodge/restaurant area, and take a wide path from there around the west side of Fall Creek Lake, where half a dozen folks are out walking the path. It’s around 40 degrees, and there is some snow on the ground, but while walking briskly, it feels nice. The lake is surrounded by hardwood forest, dormant, and in the trees there are cabins, presumably for rent. I walk and ponder whether to leap into a new job here in Tennessee. How will Tennessee compare after Wyoming and Colorado? Could be fun, I think. The path reaches the paved road, and I cross over to the north side of the road, and continue on the trail. It’s not long before I pass by a parking lot, the one I think I might have ended up at were it not for the barricade blocking the road. From there it’s not more than 50 yards to the falls overlook. It’s deserted, and aside from the slithering hiss of the water splashing on the rocks below, it’s very quiet. Fall Creek Falls, at 256 ft, is the tallest waterfall in the United States east of the Rockies, so touts a sign at the overlook. So I wonder to myself what’s the next highest, going west? Perhaps it’s Fish Creek Falls near Steamboat Springs, Colorado at 280 feet. Anyone know of a falls higher than 256’ between Steamboat Springs and Fall Creek Falls, TN? Rocky Mountain National Park has lots of falls, but I don’t recall any of them being all that tall. Near the overlook sign one has the option of descending a steep trail less than a mile to the base of the falls. The going is warned to be steep and rugged. Naturally, I take it. The air gets even cooler while descending, and the route is steep, though the liberal use of wooden handrails ease the trip. Spots are icy, and I watch my step. The base of the falls provides a much more impressive view, and I enjoy it from an icy boulder near the water. All the rocks near the plunge pool are coated in rime ice, so that there is no way of safely walking closer to the falls than the terminus of the trail. Lots of hemlocks line the cliffs, providing a splash of green against the gray rock and blue sky. The route back up is steep,
and in hotter weather, would be a sweatfest. At the overlook, a couple
of other folks had arrived, and I left them to enjoy the falls, the signage,
and to perhaps ponder my own question of the first falls going west >256’.
I retrace my steps back to the road, cross it, and in the sunny midmorning,
enjoy the stroll along Fall Creek Lake back to my car.
;)
Fall Creek Falls on icy rocks ;)
Icy rocks at the base of the falls ;)
Plunge pool at Fall Creek Falls ;)
Couldn't climb past here if you wanted to. ;)
Trail to the base of the falls ;)
Near the Lodge ;)
The paved path near the lodge. |
Fall Creek Falls ;)
Fall Creek Lake ;)
Fall Creek Lake ;)
Along the shore of Fall Creek Lake ;)
Along Fall Creek Lake ;)
Fall Creek Falls from the overlook
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;)
;)
;)
