Update: June 7, 2025:
While we were in the Sparta/Cookeville area, we decided to give Wildcat Falls another try. We were not disappointed. Wildcat Falls is located just outside of downtown Sparta. One of its best features is that it is roadside.
Wildcat Falls plunges 35 feet down the top of the Cumberland Plateau over a concave bluff line. It has a main portion over the top of the ledge and then continues down through the foliage and rocks toward and underneath the pull off.
With all of the foliage around it, Wildcat Falls reminded me of the photos you see of a waterfall in the Amazon. We went right after a good rain, which gave us good water flow, unlike our previous visit.
Wildcat Falls is a wet weather waterfall, which means after a good rain it is impressive, but if it hasn’t rained recently there may only be a trickle or completely dried up.
It’s located on the side of highway 70 between Sparta and Crossville about a half mile west of the Sunset Rock scenic overlook or 6 miles east of the White County Courthouse. The pull off is right in front of the waterfall and is really close to the side of the road, so keep an eye on the traffic. There’s a small sign with the waterfall’s name right by the pull off. There’s enough space for a few cars. Please note: the cars travel very fast down highway 70 and the pull off is narrow.
If you miss the pull off, like we did, just keep driving down the road and you’ll reach the Sunset Rock overlook where you can turn around. Sunset Rock sadly had a lot of trash everywhere and graffiti all over the rocks, but the view was really pretty.
Original Post:
Wildcat Falls is a roadside waterfall in Sparta, TN. It is roadside and not very far from Burgess Falls. This is what I call a hit or miss waterfall. Sometimes the waterfall is pretty and sometimes it is a trickle.
Unfortunately the first time we visited, it was a trickle. I have seen pictures of this waterfall after a really good rain and it looks very nice, so my recommendation is to visit immediately after a good rainfall for the best results.
Since it is close to Burgess Falls, it is worth checking out. If it was dried up like when we visited, you may want to continue down the road to Sunset Rock.
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