Cummins Falls State Park

Cummins Falls became Tennessee's 56th state park in 2012, preserving one of the state's most impressive waterfalls just a few miles north of Cookeville in Jackson County. Getting there is half the experience: the gorge trail descends into a rock-lined canyon, crossing Blackburn Fork multiple times before opening up to the 75-foot waterfall and the swimming hole it carves below. This is not a paved path - it's a genuine hike that asks you to watch your footing.

The swimming hole below the falls is one of those places that gets talked about in hushed tones among locals. Cold, clear water, the constant mist from the falls, a rock shelf to jump from - it's the kind of swimming spot that would be overrun if it were any easier to reach. The gorge hike is what keeps it from becoming a zoo, though summer weekends still draw significant crowds. If you want the pool to yourself, go on a weekday morning or in the shoulder seasons.

A gorge permit system is in place for trail access - permits are required and available through the Tennessee State Parks website. The upper overlook is accessible without a permit and gives a respectable view of the falls from above, but the gorge experience is what people come for. Wear shoes you don't mind getting wet, bring a dry bag for your phone, and be prepared to wade through the creek several times.

Local families have been making this their summer swimming hole for generations. It's close enough to Cookeville that you can be in the gorge in twenty minutes from downtown, which makes it the kind of place people visit on a whim after work in late June when the heat hits. The falls themselves are impressive in any season, but spring snowmelt volume is something worth seeing even if the water is too cold for swimming.