Twin Falls And Downstream Trail In Tennessee Is Full Of Awe-Inspiring Views
Twin Falls and Downstream Trail in Rock Island State Park, Tennessee, offers a scenic and easy hike with views of a river, forest, wildflowers, wildlife, and a waterfall.
If you're planning to spend some time in Rock Island, Tennessee, include hiking Twin Falls and Downstream Trail on your itinerary while you're there.
Rated easy, Twin Falls and Downstream Trail is a scenic destination that includes views of a river, forest, wildflowers, wildlife, and a waterfall. Since the highest elevation on the path is just over 200 feet and the length of the hike is one and a half miles, it's a great outing for hikers of all levels. And since the loop trail is open throughout the entire year, it's an ideal hike for a nature walk, school trip, or bird-watching. You can also bring a rod and go fishing here too.
To reach this scenic trail in Tennessee, set your GPS to Rock Island State Park.
We Walked Behind a Magical Waterfall While Hiking at Colditz Cove in Tennessee
We walked behind a breathtakingly beautiful flow of water with this waterfall hike in Colditz Cove in a remote part of Tennessee, and it felt like a fairy tale.
There is a particular waterfall hike in Colditz Cove that was just too good for us to pass up when we traveled through the area. All it took was one picture of Northrup Falls to convince me that we needed to go on this hike. After going, I can confidently say you just have to see it for yourself to believe something this beautiful exists - but there it was, hidden in the forest. The plethora of waterfall hikes near Knoxville - let alone all the rest of the state - never ceases to amaze me! So I hope you have the same burning desire I had to hike to this waterfall once I show you, because I can say it is more than worth it.
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We started the day early, and along our drive out to the trailhead, we noticed a sign for Rugby, Tennessee. I had read about this little historic town and had to make the detour. If you plan on hiking in Colditz Cove, then this is a lovely little side adventure I would highly recommend taking. Once we got to the trailhead, there were storm clouds in the vicinity, but we didn’t want to let rain stop us from a good hike, so we packed our things and hit the trail. There was virtually no one else around, which made for a very peaceful jaunt through the forest. The trail, at first, seemed very standard, but it served as a build-up to the end destination.
We got our first glimpse of the falls from high up, but I have always said, “Nothing beats standing at the base of a waterfall,” so we continued on. As the trail started to wind down, we found ourselves at the bottom of the cliffs we had been standing on. The fascinating rock formations and ledges were certainly a treat as we hiked. We saw many caves, hollowed-out sections, and fascinating rock formations on our way down to the cove.
In the middle of the bowl-shaped cove was the jaw-dropping Northrup Falls. The light shone in from a clearing in the trees above, so the sun highlighted the waterfall and it seemed to glow. The contrast from the darker rock overhang we had just hiked through to the waterfall before us was striking. The pool below shimmered in the light and the splashing water on the dark rocks created a lovely cascade.
As we explored the area, I noticed a path behind the waterfall. There is always something magical about walking behind falls, so I had to do it. I climbed over and soaked in this rare opportunity; it made me pause and think, where can I walk behind a waterfall in Tennessee? I remembered a few like Grotto Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Ozone Falls, but still the list is rather small given how many waterfalls there are in the Volunteer State, so it made this waterfall, in particular, feel special.
As I was enjoying the cool mist of the falls and maneuvering around the slippery mud, I noticed something else. The trail continued beyond the waterfall. The trail was actually a loop, which was exciting because that meant that everything else we would see would be new. This section of the hike was adventurous, requiring us to climb over large rocks and dodge low-hanging tree branches. Eventually, we met up with the top of the waterfall, from which we left the woods and returned to the trailhead.
When it comes to a waterfall hike in Colditz Cove, Northrup Falls is a must-see. This enchanting waterfall not only offers a feast for the eyes in terms of beauty but is also accompanied by an adventurous hike. The whole trail is short and sweet, but it helped me have AllTrails Plus along. I hope this inspires you to go out and do this hike, as well, but if you need more convincing, then check out the Adventuring in the Moment video showcasing our hike to Northrup Falls.
I feel pretty lucky that on our first trip there, we found the best hike in Pogue Creek Canyon. The Mesa Top Trail was a wild ride with many points of interest along the way. We were blown away by the variety of scenery, and it was so remote that we only saw one couple the whole time we were hiking. If you have been looking for some lesser-known trails near Knoxville, then head up to Pogue Creek Canyon an experience this amazing hike.
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This part of Tennessee, one of the state's designated dark sky parks, is more than just a pretty spot to look up at the night sky. Hidden within the forest is a plethora of otherworldly rock formations and beautiful vistas. The first stop on our hike was to see the mesa-top views. I was familiar with mesas from my trip out West, but it wasn’t something I was expecting to see in my own state. The trail looked like an old dirt road at first but then took a few surprising turns, which we learned was the norm on this trail. The rickety steep wooden stairs up the cliffside was our first indication that this hike would be a little adventurous.
After traversing some very narrow paths with large blueberry bushes, some of them as tall as my chest, we arrived at a little bridge over a crack in the rock. The crevice went down impossibly far, it was too dark to see the bottom. We hopped over the little footbridge and were blown away by the incredible view. The mesa, in particular, was beautiful and something certainly unique in Tennessee. After soaking in the scenery for a moment we turned to finish off the loop trail.
Our original plan involved a much longer trail that day, which included an arch, but due to a massive storm the previous week, the trail was closed. I wondered how much of what I saw online I would be able to see on the limited hike; and there was one particular spot I had high hopes for visiting. We took the loop to finish off the hike, and I was nervous that what I had hoped for was located in a closed area, but then we rounded the corner and there it was!
It was even better than I could have hoped for. We left the familiar packed dirt path for soft sand and enjoyed a view far better than the mesa. The massive rock wall stretched up far above our heads with swirls of colors and otherworldly formations. On the other side of the trail was an arch-like cave we had to walk through to continue hiking. I was elated to find this hidden gem in the northern Tennessee woods, so we stayed for a while taking pictures while my kids played in the sand.
I was flabbergasted by the scenery, and the pictures just don’t do it justice. We were the only ones around, so our excited voices echoed through the quiet forest. I felt like this trail kept getting better from one place to another.
The air shifted as we wandered through the tunnel on the trail. Inside there was even a smaller arch that my girls crawled through. This hike reminded me of our time spent hiking in the desert with arches, sand, and cool rock formations, so I was basically in heaven.
We continued on, and around every corner it was filled with caves, towering rock walls, and columns of limestone. The wall looked like a candle in a haunted mansion that had melted and had an eerie look to it. It may have been my overactive imagination but, I couldn’t help but picture ghostly apparitions within the wall. Maybe that’s just me though…
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The Mesa Top Trail is one of the best hikes with views in Pogue Creek Canyon; in fact, it is the best hike in Pogue Creek Canyon period. I was blown away by this adventurous trail and found it to be well worth the drive to the remote area of Jamestown to enjoy it. While in the area make sure to explore nearby Big South Fork, which is also filled with many unbelievable scenery. I would recommend downloading all the maps of the trails you want to hike on AllTrails Plus before you go, since there is very little cell service.
To see more of this epic hike check out an Adventuring in the Moment video we made to showcase this one-of-a-kind trail.
