If you are interested in visiting the waterfall in person, we will host hikes on the first Saturday of each month at 10:00 AM. Pre-registration is required.
Call Jeanne Fitch at 615-386-3171 or
Steve Walsh at 615-545-0195.
Hikes made possible by the generosity of Tennessee Gas Pipeline, an El Paso Company.
Save Cummins Falls
Please Help Save Cummins Falls
The mission of Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation is to save Tennessee’s natural treasures and this is one of our finest. We finally have this one-time chance to save it for us and for generations to come.
The Opportunity
The northeast side of Blackburn Fork River adjacent to Cummins Falls encompasses 186 acres and was sold at public auction May 15, 2010. Original plans called for eighty river-front houses to be developed, compromising the view of the waterfall. At the urging of the board and volunteers with Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation, a Cookeville resident, Dr. Glenn Hall, purchased the land and has generously agreed to give the Foundation time to buy the land from him. Our option expires December 16, 2011. Subsequently, the Foundation appealed to Governor Haslam and the State has agreed to help fund the purchase of the Falls as an addition to Tennessee State Parks. We also borrowed funding and purchased 25 acres on the south side to protect the view. We need your help to continue this important work.
About the Falls
Hover over the pictures to reveal interesting facts about Cummins Falls.
Blackburn Fork was designated as a State Scenic River in 1968 with 14.5 miles from Cummings Mill downstream to its confluence with the Roaring River. Because Blackburn Fork is a tributary to Roaring River State Scenic River, it is therefore important for its conservation. (Spring Creek is also a State Scenic River in this county and a tributary to Roaring River.)
It is designated by the National Park Service as outstanding for scenic, recreational, geological, and wildlife values. Also, the Tennessee Rivers Assessment Project designated Blackburn Fork with its highest rating of “1” for natural and scenic qualities.
Cummins Falls is the largest privately owned waterfall in Tennessee. Grand at 75 feet high, this waterfall is the eighth largest waterfall in TN in magnitude of water.
It is located in Jackson County close to the Putnam County line off Cummins Mill Rd. on the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River.
It is located in Jackson County close to the Putnam County line off Cummins Mill Rd. on the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River.
This property is located in the Cordell Hull Watershed which has been identified as a U.S. Watershed Hot Spot by the Nature Conservancy study, “Rivers of Life,” because of its rich assemblage of biological diversity. Forty percent of the watershed is in Jackson County.
Its formation in the Eastern Highland Rim creates unique, dramatic topography and rare ecosystems where wildlife thrives in this wet, lush, forested gorge.
Cummins Falls is the most significant geological and scenic feature located on Blackburn Fork State Scenic River. This property protects more than 1.5 miles of the east side of the most scenic stretch of river.
Cummins Falls is the most significant geological and scenic feature located on Blackburn Fork State Scenic River. This property protects more than 1.5 miles of the east side of the most scenic stretch of river.
This property protects wildlife including fish; turkey, quail, eagles and other birds; soft-shell and other turtles; fox, mink, and myriad insects including damselflies and dragonflies.
It protects water quality/quantity.
It protects water quality/quantity.
It protects unique and varied plant life.
Cummins Falls was named in the Top 10 List of Best Swimming Holes in the US, America's
Best Swimming Holes (Article by Travel & Leisure).
Cummins Falls was named in the Top 10 List of Best Swimming Holes in the US, America's
Best Swimming Holes (Article by Travel & Leisure).
This land has been a priority for the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation for a decade. It is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the United States and with your help will be preserved for public access for generations to come.
For more information contact the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation at (615) 386-3171.
Don't forget to check out our Save Cummins Falls latest news page.
For a preview of Cummins Falls, check out this video. It’s amazing!