WINFO CIFS SERIES

By ducking underneath a railing beside this part of the trail, hikers willing to take a risk and venture away from the main trail can access an overgrown path down to the top of the falls. Along this upward climb, between the overlook across from the cliffs and the last section of the path that leads to the top, there’s a stunning (yet nameless, as far as I know) waterfall. This includes a sharp descent from the trailhead into the canyon and a steady climb to the top of the cliffs at the end of the trail. However, the first and final sections of the trail, though short in distance, are relentlessly steep. Here’s a glimpse of the expansive view across CC #3, one of the widest crossings on the trail.Īll of the creek crossings are spread across about a mile or so of the middle section of the 2.75 mile trail to Window Cliffs, and this part of the path is fairly flat. Each creek crossing is signed and numbered for reference. Despite the lack of rain, only a couple of the creek crossings were dry, and walking through cold water so often throughout the hike brought welcome relief to our sweaty bodies and sore feet. I can’t speak to the water levels after significant rainfall, as the weather had been relatively dry during the week prior to my visit. Window Cliffs is an out-and-back trail, which means that you turn around at the end point and hike out on the same route that brought you in. This essentially doubles the number of creek crossings, because the trail leads back across all nine of them again on the way out. Although it feels like driving into the opening scene of a bad horror movie, the remote nature of this place is part of what makes it so appealing and special. The last stretch of the drive leading to the park is actually a gravel path that runs through a privately owned farm.

Getting to this state park requires a journey down miles and miles of back roads, and you’ve got better odds of finding a unicorn in those woods than a cell signal. One of the most challenging things about the Window Cliffs trail is finding it. Megan, underneath this unnamed waterfall’s upper edge, Window Cliffs State Natural Area She’s been a big part of my hiking journey to date (Old Rag Mountain in 2017 and Red River Gorge in 2018), and I felt excited to share this new hike with one of my closest friends (Plus, we had a lot of important things to talk about it’s almost football season). My friend, Megan, came down from Louisville and joined me on this hike. After I read that this trail features nine creek crossings AND a waterfall, in addition to the namesake cliffs that look like something out of a Dr. I discovered Window Cliffs by searching through AllTrail’s listings for the top trails in Tennessee. Think of AllTrails as a version of Yelp for hikers, only with a lot less whining. I’m a big fan of AllTrails because this site enables users to share data from their own experience on different trails, and then organizes this information so that it’s easily searchable for those who may not know exactly what they’re looking for. When looking for a new hike, I naturally start by asking people I know, but beyond that, my search begins at. Window Cliffs Window Cliffs State Natural Area, Tennessee

Fortunately, Tennessee is loaded with trails that provide hikers with ample opportunity to get their feet wet. In hindsight, maybe I should have saved these trails for summer, because very few things in life are more refreshing than taking a dip in a creek or swimming hole on a hot day. In previous posts, I’ve expressed my love for waterfalls at length, and I’ve been lucky enough to witness an assortment of these beauties on my hikes throughout the year so far (I highly recommend hiking at Virgin Falls and Fall Creek Falls, both in Tennessee).

WINFO CIFS SERIES

the gorgeous series of rapids located at the trailhead of the path to Burgess Falls My best alternative for the months in between: water, and not just the drinkable kind. Maine provided a stellar escape from the southern heat for May, and I’ve got epic plans for September (I’m keeping my cards close to the chest on that one for now). And as much as I regret to admit it, I don’t have the resources, financial or otherwise, to travel to cooler hiking destinations outside of the Southeast once a month during the warm season. It’s not easy to find a trail close to home that isn’t fiercely hot at this time of year. I never doubted that summer would be the most difficult season of my New Year’s Resolution.

Winfo cifs