Tennessee State Parks #1

**FREE - Everything we did on this trip was free except the campsite!**

Day 1:

7am - Leave Home

10:30am to 1pm - Burgess Falls State Natural Park - 4000 Burgess Falls Dr, Sparta, TN

136 Foot Lower Falls (Big Falls)

River Trail/Service Road Loop - 1.5 mile
The hike wasn't bad at all. There are a few areas of ups and downs but mostly it was easy walking.

20 Foot Cascades

  
30 Foot Upper Falls and 80 Foot Middle Falls...both photos taken from the path.

2pm - Standing Stone State Park - 1674 Standing Stone Parkway, Hilham, TN
Gift Shop Hours: 8am to 4:30pm

Camp (Site 21) $25.95

I always reserve campsites ahead of time which is sometimes hard to do because the campsite maps are never very informative.  I try to get just the right distance away from and near to the bathhouse without being in a congested area.  I felt good about this choice but when we got there is was so much better.  The campsite was huge, it was the only one with a swing bench, the bathhouse was the perfect distance away and there was a horse shoe game right next to the site.  We stayed 2 nights and loved every minute of it.  We drove around the whole campground and in our opinion we had the best site!

The park itself has a lot to offer...hiking trails, a seasonal pool, gift shop, cabins and campground, a recreation center, at least 2 playgrounds, fishing and boating as well as the main attraction, the Standing Stone Monument.

Day 2:

9am - Leave Camp

9:40am to 12pm - Cordell Hull State Historic Park - 1300 Cordell Hull Memorial Dr, Byrdstown, TN
Overlook/Cave Trail - 2.5 mile loop - We hiked the trail but did not go down to see the cave.
Picnic Lunch

1pm to 5pm - Cummins Falls State Park - 1081 Cummins Mill Road, Cookeville, TN

This park was AMAZING!  It is a crazy strenuous hike threw the river and over rocks and steep ups and downs but 1000% worth it!

If you can stand the workout...

 
 ...than this is what greets you at the end!

 
 

6pm to 7pm - The Pharmacy Burger Parlor - 731 McFerrin Ave, Nashville, TN
9pm - Home

**The above trip was the original plan, but we had some extra time so we decided to leave a day early. We left around noon on Friday and arrived at Standing Stone State Park around 4pm. We explored the park and hung out at our campsite the rest of the day. The rest of the trip was basically the same other than we did everything in reverse (Cummins Falls, Cordell Hull then Burgess Falls). Also we skipped The Pharmacy Burger Parlor, ate sandwiches from our cooler and stopped at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park instead.

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park - 600 James Robertson Pkwy, Nashville, TN 37243

This was a nice park in the middle of downtown Nashville, a lot of room for kids to run around, some water to cool off in and the Farmer's Market is right next door.