A 75-foot waterfall in a Jackson County gorge, with the dramatic base-of-the-falls view gated by a limited daily gorge permit.
Cummins Falls drops about 75 feet into a steep gorge at Cummins Falls State Park, near Cookeville in Jackson County. A short overlook trail reaches a view of the falls without a permit, but the base-of-the-falls experience that draws most visitors sits inside a gorge that Tennessee State Parks manages through a limited daily gorge permit system.
The park sells roughly 200 gorge permits per day at $6 plus tax, available online in advance or at the visitor center, and the route down into the gorge is rugged, involves wading sections of Blackburn Fork, and is closed outright in high water or poor weather. Park gates, gorge access and permit sales each run on their own shorter daily windows, so check the official hours and any posted trail or weather closures before heading out, and plan to finish well before the park's own closing time.
On 2026-10-11 the official park page listed park hours as 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., with gorge access closing earlier at 3:30 p.m. through March 8, 2026, and gorge permit sales ending at 2:30 p.m. Confirm current hours and the gorge permit cutoff on the official page before visiting. Check the current notice ↗
Know before you go
Cummins Falls State Park visitor center off TN-56, Jackson County, near Cookeville.
Open year-round; gorge access is weather-dependent and closes in high water.
Short overlook trail (no permit); gorge/base route roughly 2-3 miles round trip and requires a gorge permit.
Overlook is free; gorge permit $6 plus tax, about 200 issued per day.
Overlook trail only; the gorge route is rugged and not accessible.
2026-10-11. Conditions and requirements can change; confirm with the land manager before travelling.
Sources & further reading
- Tennessee State Parks — Cummins Falls Hiking ↗
- Tennessee State Parks — Cummins Falls ↗
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) ↗
This is a researched visitor guide, not a claim that our editors have personally visited. Trail conditions, permits, and access can change.
