Do you want to see all the views during your visit to the Fall Creek Falls State Park? Then I’ve got you covered. Here are some of the best views the park has to offer and how easy they are to access.
Piney Falls Overlook
Piney Falls is in the west side of the park. Sadly, the trail to the falls directly was closed when I was there. I have yet to hike to the falls because of this but will soon now that it’s reopened. In the meantime I took the short trek out to the Piney Falls overlook and enjoyed the view.
This little hike is roughly only a tenth of a mile. It’s a little bit rocky, but still an easy, gradual descent to the overlook. The overlook itself is a rock bluff. And if you’re a little more adventurous, you can hike down one bluff further by taking the short climb down to the right of the main bluff. Piney Falls can be seen in the distance here slightly to the left.
Millikan’s Overlook and Buzzard’s Roost
Millikan’s Overlook is said to be one of the best overlooks in the Fall Creek Falls State Park. And there’s no questioning why when you see these photos. The overlook can be found halfway down the Scenic Loop Road with a large wooden platform and room for parking. On the platform you’ll also find one of the color-blind view finders. If you missed my last blog post about these, click HERE to read more about them.
Buzzard’s Roost is the rock bluff that stretches out just below the Millikan’s Overlook platform. It’s a short, but somewhat steep, hike down to it. I highly recommend this little climb down the eroded trail as the views from the roost are arguably better than the views from the platform. Because it juts out further than the platform, you can see more in all directions than you can from the platform.
Fall Creek Falls Overlook Close to the Falls
For namesake, you cannot forget about Fall Creek Falls itself. When you visit the falls from the Fall Creek Falls parking lot and trailhead, there’s an immediate overlook. However, the falls are quite distant from here. I highly suggest this overlook instead if you’re wanting a more closeup view of the falls. Also, this spot tends to be a bit less crowded since it’s a slightly longer hike to get to.
You can access this overlook by either the less than half mile hike from the Fall Creek Falls parking lot or the longer hike from the Nature Center that is about a mile after crossing the suspension bridge. We took the Woodland Trail from the Nature Center to reach this overlook which was a nice little hike that even crosses the Fall Creek Falls Creek. For a map of the park including these trails, click HERE.
Nature Center
The Nature Center is home to a mini museum. There are numerous displays of wildlife and vegetation that can be found on the Cumberland Plateau where the Fall Creek Falls State Park lives. Not only can you admire the taxidermal animals here, there are also pieces of local history sprinkled throughout. Also inside the Nature Center is a little gift shop and small movie theater that plays more educational films. Parking at the Nature Center allows you to easily access many hiking trails as well as short walks to overlook the Cane Creek Falls and Cascades. The suspension bridge that leads to the Woodland Trail is directly behind the Nature Center building.
Additional Fall Creek Falls State Park Overlooks
Naturally the Fall Creek Falls State Park has more overlooks to enjoy than just the few I mentioned today. However, the ones I mentioned in this post can easily be enjoyed in one day without too much rush. In fact, that’s just what we did. There are a few more overlooks I want to share with you but I’ll have to save those for next week.
If you missed my post about the other waterfalls in the park, click HERE to check it out. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve been to Fall Creek Falls State Park and what your favorite spot is. To watch the video of all these overlook experiences, click HERE. See you next week and have fun Exploring Chatt!
