Rock Island State Park is a waterfall lover's paradise, so much so that I felt it deserved its own page here. While the park hosts two officially named waterfalls (Great Falls, Twin Falls), and a few with unofficial names (Blue Hole Falls, Badger Flat Falls), most of the waterfalls here are, in fact, nameless. Regardless, they are incredible, cascading over multiple different terrains throughout the park.
For a park map, click here. Scroll further to read about my favorite way to view the various 10+ cascades. It's worth noting that these waterfalls may look very different depending on what time of year you visit. My visit occurred during the drier fall season.
Google Location: Rock Island State Park, 82 Beach Rd, Rock Island, TN 38581
GPS Location: 35.8106° N, 85.6418° W
Total Hike: Over 10 miles of trails
Wheelchair Accessible: Partially - Great Falls Overlook, Twin Falls Overlook
Admission: Free
Open: 8am
Swimming: Only at Swim Beach, Great Falls, Warm Hole, and Cold Hole. Click here for more details.
Pets: Yes, with leash (except in cabins, lodges, or swimming areas)
GPS Location: 35.8106° N, 85.6418° W
Total Hike: Over 10 miles of trails
Wheelchair Accessible: Partially - Great Falls Overlook, Twin Falls Overlook
Admission: Free
Open: 8am
Swimming: Only at Swim Beach, Great Falls, Warm Hole, and Cold Hole. Click here for more details.
Pets: Yes, with leash (except in cabins, lodges, or swimming areas)
My favorite place to start is at the parking area next to the Historic Cotton Mill. From here you can view Great Falls from an overlook. From there take the 0.1-mile Old Mill Gorge Trail, which primarily consists of stairs. Here you'll encounter your first waterfall, which flows out of the ground on the wall and over the stairs. I'd estimate this waterfall to be about 40 feet total.
At the end of the stairs as the trail enters the gorge, the next waterfall will come into view. This one also cascades along the wall of the gorge and is similar in height.
After viewing that waterfall, walk through the brush and the gorge floor will open up into a rocky expanse. Continuing right will take you past at least 3 free-falling waterfalls. The first of these is a triple waterfall that can be easily viewed from the front. The second waterfall you'll need to walk behind first and then backtrack along the rocks for a frontal view. The third waterfall will appear further down, which can also be viewed from the front or behind. By the time you reach the third waterfall, you'll have traveled about 0.3 miles.
Once you've reached the third waterfall, a quick scramble onto the rocks will bring Great Falls into view. Great Falls refers to a 30-foot corner waterfall along the edge of the walkable gorge area. Typically, there are 3 sections of cascades within this waterfall: a left, middle, and right.
After viewing Great Falls, backtrack towards the Old Mill Gorge Trail. Instead of returning up the trail, continue down the river 0.1 miles to witness another epic cascade that drops about 30 feet (see photo at top of page too).
From this point, you can head back up the trail. All in all, plan to walk about a mile or so in this area. Up next, you'll want to head to the Blue Hole Picnic Area up the road. Here, you'll hike 0.3 miles along the Blue Hole Trail, which will take you through Blue Hole Falls as it cascades down over 100 feet (rough estimate) towards the gorge floor. Photos and videos do not do this waterfall justice. This is one of the most epic hikes you'll ever go on. As the name suggests, Blue Hole is also a swimming spot!
Up next, you'll want to head to the Badger Flats Picnic Area even further up the road. Here you'll get to see the top of Badger Flats Falls, including where the water magically appears from underground! This waterfall drops roughly 30 feet.
After checking out Badger Flat Falls, I would recommend stopping by the gift shop at the visitor center. From there, you'll drive around the park to the other side of the gorge via Powerhouse Road. Here, you'll find parking for Twin Falls and the Downstream Trail. While Twin Falls is viewable from the parking lot, a 0.2-mile loop along the trail will take you right up to it. This waterfall is wildly impressive, with twin cascades each dropping 80 feet into the river. Though its existence is a result of the Great Falls Dam, its architecture is entirely natural. While there may be even more falls hidden within the park for you to find, Twin Falls makes for a great last stop!
Twin Falls
Rope along Blue Hole Trail
