Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: Paddle 2 miles/hike 0.2 miles (depending on water levels)
Entry Cost: Free
Opens: 8AM Daily
Closes: 30 minutes before sunset
Burgess Falls is a very large powerful waterfall located in Sparta, TN Norht of Huntsville. This waterfall is accessible by boat at the bottom or a hike to the view from above.
If you need a kayak, you can rent one from Cumberland Kayak Adventure nearby. They are open seasonally.
Find hikes nearby:
Rock Island State Park
Fall Creek Falls
This is the perfect place to wear outdoor sandals.
Burgess Falls is about 2.5 hours North of Huntsville near Sparta, TN.
The parking lot for kayaking to the bottom of the falls does not pop up on Google when you search for “Burgess Falls”. Click here for directions.
Parking Lot
There is plenty of parking in the parking lot. If you don’t have a kayak to paddle, you can always rent one from Cumberland Kayak Adventure nearby! There is plenty of room to unload and park. This place is busy during the summer months. There are porta-potties in the parking lot.
The Paddle
The paddle is easy, but it is 2 miles. Most of the time the water is lake-like conditions without any noticeable current. As you get towards the end of the paddle you will be paddling against the current.
Boat landing
Where you pull off depends on how high the water levels are. The higher the water levels, the farther up the river you can go. I’ve seen pictures where you can kayak all the way up to the falls. You will need to pull off on the right (looking upstream) and hike along that bank to get to the falls. The hiking is technical in some places and very flat and easy in others.
Check out our Gear suggestions!
Summer Hiking Essentials
Summer Camping Essentials
Outdoor Sandal
Burgess Falls
The waterfall is super powerful and creates a mist in the air. It is massive and a beautiful sight. You can swim at the bottom during the summer!
Yellow Creek Falls
We ran out of time, so we did not go to the overlook (photo credit: wiki). It looks like you can park here and take the trail “Burgess Falls Dr”.
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