Burgess Falls

Since our visit to Muddy Falls was a bust, we decided to head over to Burgess Falls State Park.

The land where Burgess Falls State park is located has been associated with the Burgess Family for over two hundred years. In 1793, Thomas Burgess (1756-1840) was given a land grant as payment for his service in the Revolutionary War. The Burgess family recognized the water's power potential and opened up a grist mill and a saw mill. In the 1920's, the energy from the waterfalls was harnessed to provide electricity for the area, which continued until the arrival of the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1944. In 1973, the state named Burgess Falls a State Natural Area.

Background information out of the way, if you ever have the opportunity to see Burgess Falls in person, do it. The 1.5 mile trail is moderate in difficulty, but it is well worth the reward. This place is gorgeous. The Falling Water River drops 250 feet in less than a mile, washing over rocks in three falls: Little Falls (a thirty foot drop), Middle Falls (eighty foot drop) and the Big Falls that is a 136 foot drop for the river.





You get the idea. Pictures coming in next post.