I had the opportunity to ramble with my sisters to Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee . It finally cooled down enough mid September to make the trip .
One of the first things we saw as we entered the park was a young deer that still had faint spots . We stopped in the park office to get a park map . It left a lot to be desired as far as maps go . A bit confusing for first time visitors .
The first fall was just a short stroll down a wide paved path . There was another path that took you closer to the bottom but it looked like it was dang near straight up and down . Just a little further down the road was a small pull off that led to a ledge with an incredible view .
Next stop , Buzzard's Roost .There were quite a few of the namesake birds cruising the thermals . The black spot in the pic really is a buzzard .
Next up , Pine Creek Falls . The photo was taken from a rock ledge that hung over a tremendous amount of thin air . Big sister scooched out to the very edge of the ledge to get her pics . I couldn't convince my self that the extra six feet closer would make a difference in my shots . That's my story and I'm sticking to it .
The suspension bridge had a sign saying no running , no jumping . Looking at the end supports from a construction background , I fully concurred . Little sister wasn't too enthusiastic about crossing and I was undecided . Big sister strolls out with no hands on the rails and does a little jig . Signs didn't say no dancing . Then she proceeds to lean over the rail taking pics , and squats to shoot through the side mesh . After she finished making the bridge rock and roll and got to the other end , it was Little sister's turn . She gets about a third of the way across and yells at us to stop shaking the bridge . Of course we weren't doing a thing . Now it was my turn . I shouldn't have looked so closely at those supports . But since both sisters had made the trip , I had no choice but to follow suite .
The stream flowing under the suspension bridge made a great place to take a break and enjoy the scenery .
Not real sure of the significance of George Hole , but I would wager it was a mill site of some sort . Upstream was another suspension bridge in a state of disrepair that was gated off . Downstream was a low head dam . In between was a millpond being enjoyed by swimmers .
At the bottom of the next falls there were several kids swimming . When we stopped in the little gift shop we asked how to get to the bottom . Evidently there is a path but it is steep enough to require an anchored cable to ease you down and then so you can pull yourself back up the trail . No way !!! The little pale spots at the bottom of the falls in the pic are the kids .
We went down to the Cascades where we thought the gift shop lady said were 69 steps to descend .The small area at the bottom of the Cascades was fully occupied with a family enjoying the deep pool there . Rather than clamber down and then back up 69 steps , and interrupt the family we satisfied ourselves with taking our photos at the top of the Cascades .
Hurray !! Another suspension bridge . Fortunately the stays and bracing seemed substantially better on this one . Unbeknownst to us , at the other end were the 69 steps . Little sister counted every one . Concrete with a single metal handrail . Narrow and steep . Oh well , we were determined to see Cane Creek Falls even as dark was approaching .
Hiking up the wide well maintained but steep trail took a while . You know some of us old farts ( me ) have to breathe on a fairly regular basis or we tend to fall over . Stopping several times to catch my breath slowed us down a bit . Finally near the the fork going down to the falls there was a sign that said 3/4 miles to falls . Big sis asked a hiker coming up the falls trail how much further . The hiker replied only ten minutes or so . So down the falls trail we go . Did I mention that the hiker was young , fit as a fiddle , and probably had on her 4wheel drive boots .
There was another side trail that led down to a viewing area . If there hadn't put been a sign pointing the way I would have thought it was a place where rain had run off and eroded a gully down the side of the mountain . The sisters did just fine . I wobble legged down it with the aid of my walking stick . There was a two strand cable stretched across at the bottom of the trail . Kind of like the cables stretched down the middle of the interstate to keep you from going off the road . Except this one kept you from bouncing over the precipice if you missed your footing . A long , long drop and you more than likely would miss the water .
I didn't get pictures of the trail going down because my hands were full just getting down the trail/gully . When we got ready to head back it started to rain . The climb up was fun with the trail getting slicker with every raindrop . Starting down the trail to the bridge it began to pour . Now the trail was turning into a slip n slide . Almost to the bottom Big sis yelled look behind you ! Four deer were crossing the trail about thirty feet behind us . and then proceeded to filter through the woods on our right . Of course my camera was packed in a plastic bag inside my backpack . The cell phone pics were so blurred you couldn't tell what they were .
With a low rumble of thunder we grabbed the metal handrail and crept down 69 steep , slick steps . Safely down we started across the mostly metal suspension bridge . Big sis stopped in the middle to take pics of the deer crossing the stream below us . The same deer were grazing beside the parking area when we made back to the van .
This is a great Tennessee state park . I almost forgot to mention the fabulous lunch buffet we had had their lodge . Absolutely the best buffet of any park I have been to .
With family scattered all over Georgia , Florida , and Alabama this was a special ramble with my sisters .
