1 hr 45 min
By car from the Public Square, 100 mi
Field Guide 04 · Tennessee State Parks
Burgess Falls State Park
The Falling Water River drops over a run of falls on its way to the Caney Fork, and three short trails reach the overlooks. The park also manages Window Cliffs, a 254-acre natural area nearby; its plan asks for ways to spread out the crowds.
Putnam CountyBaxterOpenChecked October 20, 2026
580
Acres*
—
Visitors in fiscal 2025*
3
Trails listed, 1.6 miles
Day
Day use only
4
Activities the state lists
* Acres: 326 acres at Burgess Falls and 254 at Window Cliffs, as the plan lists them.* Visitors: The plan's count for fiscal 2025, 239,748, is the same figure Big Ridge's plan gives, so we print neither.
What's there
Things to do
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Paddling
- Waterfall Viewing
On site
- Amphitheater
- Birding
- Fishing
- Gift Shop
- Playground
- Trails
- Waterfalls
- Wheelchair-Friendly Overlooks
- Wheelchair-Friendly Paved Trails
The trails
| Trail | Miles | Difficulty | Surface | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access Trail (Gravel Service Road) | 0.55 | Moderate | Gravel | Open |
| Ridgetop Trail | 0.25 | Moderate | Natural | Open |
| River Trail | 0.75 | Moderate | Natural | Open |
As the park's hiking page lists them on October 20, 2026. Lengths are one way unless the trail is a loop, and some trails share ground, so the total is the sum of the list, not the miles on the ground.
Getting there
8487 Burgess Falls Rd, Baxter, TN 38544
Park office: 1-931-432-5312
The park's page at Tennessee State Parks
Campsites, cabins and lodge rooms are booked online through the park's page or by phone at 1-888-867-2757, the state's reservation line.
Nearby
- Edgar Evins State Park13 miles away as the crow flies · 1 hr 30 min from Franklin
- Scott's Gulf Wilderness State Park13 miles away as the crow flies · 1 hr 55 min from Franklin
- Cummins Falls State Park15 miles away as the crow flies · 1 hr 45 min from Franklin
- Rock Island State Park17 miles away as the crow flies · 1 hr 45 min from Franklin
How we know
Every fact on this page but the summary at the top is the state's, read on the date above, except the drive: that is Valhalla's route on OpenStreetMap's roads from Franklin's Public Square to the park office, with no traffic, rounded to five minutes. Visits are the park plan's count for the year named, mostly from traffic counters. How the guide was made.
- The park. Tennessee State Parks: the Find a Park list, the park's own page, its hiking page, read October 20, 2026.
- Acres. The park's strategic management plan. 326 acres at Burgess Falls and 254 at Window Cliffs, as the plan lists them.
- Visitors. The park's strategic management plan, its site fact sheet for fiscal 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025). The plan's count for fiscal 2025, 239,748, is the same figure Big Ridge's plan gives, so we print neither.