Here’s a family friendly waterfall day trip to at least five waterfalls. The best time of the year to do this day trip is in the spring to get the best water flow. Driving distance for the first four waterfalls of this day trip is 1 hour and 5 minutes, depending on traffic. When you add the last one, the driving distance is 2 hours and 15 minutes. While it adds a little over an hour to your trip, Little Egypt Falls is well worth the trip.
Click on “More options” inside the map to get a full list of directions and stops along this trip. Click on link in each section below to view more information about each waterfall including trail details and directions to the waterfall.
Ozone Falls
Ozone Falls is located in Cumberland County, Tennessee inside the Ozone Falls State Natural Area and Cumberland Trail State Park. Ozone Falls is a pretty 110 foot waterfall that was one of the locations used for the 2016 live action movie “The Jungle Book.” The hike to the base is around 0.25 miles one way.
The hike to the overlook with a side view of Ozone Falls is fairly easy. The trail is a little rocky, but manageable. It is a clear trail so you shouldn’t need to worry about getting lost so long as you stay on the trail. It is a very short path down to the beautiful view you see below. If you keep following the trail it will take you to the base, however the trail becomes a little more difficult as you continue on from the overlook.
Potter’s Falls
Potter’s Falls is located on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee in Morgan County on Crooked Fork Creek, a tributary of Emory River. Potter’s Falls is a series of two waterfalls. Potter’s Falls is 18-feet tall and spans the width of Crooked Fork Creek.
Potter’s Falls is located near Frozen Head State Park in Wartburg. There are several small offshoot trails from the parking area that you can explore. If you go about 100 feet from the parking lot and you will see a side trail that will take you to a view of Potter’s Falls. You can climb down some rocks to get to the base of the waterfall. There is a large pool of water at the base of that falls, which locals use for swimming.
Lower Potter’s Falls
Lower Potter’s Falls is 18-feet tall and spans the width of Crooked Fork Creek. After viewing Potter’s Falls, return to the main trail and continue down the trail. In just a few minutes, you’ll see another side trail that will take you to Lower Potter’s Falls. Both trails are about 0.2 miles combined.
Lower Potter’s Falls is comprised of two sections, the first is 12 feet and the second is 6 feet for a combined height of 18 feet. The pilot for the television show “Young Daniel Boone” was filmed here, however the show was not successful.
Debord Falls
Debord Falls, located inside Frozen Head State Park, is a wet weather waterfall and is best viewed after a good rain or during early spring. To reach Debord Falls take the Panther Branch Trail.
The trail is wide, but has some rocky and rooty parts. There is a creek near the beginning of the trail, if the water is low here, it will be low at Debord Falls. Right away, the trail crosses the Flat Fork on a concrete bridge and continues following it. Most of the small tributaries have wooden bridges to cross over on this section of the trail. At 0.6 miles, you will reach the short side trail leading to Debord Falls. Go to the right to view the falls.
It will bring you to an observation deck view of the falls. After passing the observation deck, you will see a wooden staircase on your right that descends to the base of the falls.
Emory Gap Falls
If the water is low at Debord Falls, then it will be even lower at Emory Gap Falls. It was very low when we visited so we did not continue onto Emory Gap Falls.
Should you want to continue on to view Emory Gap Falls, return to the main trail and continue another 0.7 miles until you reach the junction of Panther Branch Trail and the Emory Gap Spur Trail. At this junction make sure to take the Emory Gap Trail straight, and not go over the bridge to your right. From here it is another 0.5 miles to Emory Gap Falls.
Little Egypt Falls
Little Egypt Falls (also known as Triple Falls and Bruce Creek Falls – because it is on Bruce Creek), located in Caryville, is one of the prettiest waterfalls I’ve ever seen. It’s quite unique with how it is set into the rocks.
There’s two ways you can reach Little Egypt Falls. The first is by taking the Triple Falls Trail, a 1.9-mile out-and-back moderate trail that starts at Cove Lake State Park. Or you can take a shorter easy trail from a parking area on Shelton Hollow Lane (a dead-end road).
You’ll pass several really pretty a small waterfall and cascades on the way to Little Egypt Falls. The smaller waterfall is about 0.3 miles before you reach Little Egypt Falls. There are several paths that you can take down to the first waterfall.
After passing the small waterfall, you’ll soon reach Little Egypt Falls. There’s an easy path that will lead you to the base of the waterfall.
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