This Scenic Tennessee Hike Leads To A Majestic Waterfall And Swimming Hole

Tennessee's reputation as a tourist destination largely hinges on the music scene (and nightlife) of Nashville and the distinct cultural heritage of cities like Memphis. But alongside its urban attractions, Tennessee is also an underrated destination for outdoor adventures. After all, Tennessee contains half of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (America's most popular national park by far), as well as some of the most beautiful parts of the Appalachian Mountains beyond that. Tennessee's numerous parks and nature preserves feature gorgeous mountains, immense forests, and unique Tennessee attractions like a glass-bottomed boat ride on America's largest underground lake. 

Tennessee's combination of a mountainous landscape and a temperate climate also means many waterfalls. Each of Tennessee's waterfalls is a worthy travel destination for its own unique reasons, but some do stand out more than others. Along these lines, one particularly notable (if underrated) Tennessee attraction is the stunning Greeter Falls. Located in the heart of the state's often-overlooked Cumberland Plateau region, Greeter Falls and its surrounding Savage Gulf State Park feature superb nature trails, exquisite views, and even one of Tennessee's best natural swimming holes!

Of all the waterfalls in Tennessee, Greeter Falls may be the most welcoming. Not only is the waterfall's breathtaking cascade a sight to behold as it descends a sheer rocky gorge, but its 1.1-mile hiking loop is one of the most popular (and beautiful) trails in Tennessee. Greeter Falls itself consists of an upper falls and a lower falls, which complement each other to create one of the state's most underrated natural wonders. The upper portion of Greeter Falls is the smaller of the two, though it's no less beautiful than its larger neighbor downstream. At 15 feet wide, Upper Greeter Falls empties into a shallow pool that mainly serves as a great photo opportunity for hikers. Notably, the currents around Upper Greeter Falls are faster than those further downstream, so this part of the waterfall is decisively not for swimming. 

The lower portion of the falls, however, is probably the star of the show. Lower Greeter Falls descends 50 feet down a sharp sandstone cliff into a deep, enchanting pool below. Fortunately, the trail includes a spiral staircase descending the ravine, so hikers don't need to worry about making the harrowing climb down on their own. Even better, this staircase provides excellent viewpoints (and photo opportunities) of the falls. 

The natural pool underneath Lower Greeter Falls is, arguably, the highlight of the entire hike. This pool, known as the "Blue Hole," is deep and generally calm enough for hikers to safely swim in. Not only that, but some of the surrounding cliffs have spots where you can even cliff dive directly into the swimming hole! (Always using caution, of course.) With its excellent swimming amenities, combined with its lovely scenery, Greeter Falls undoubtedly ranks among the world's most beautiful waterfalls where you can swim. 

Greeter Falls is one of the central attractions of Tennessee's under-the-radar Savage Gulf State Park, a low-key scenic gem in the state's broader Cumberland Plateau. As an outdoor destination, Tennessee's reputation mostly lies in the Great Smoky Mountains region of the state's far eastern border. But while the Great Smoky Mountains have many great family-friendly activities and amazing hikes, they're far from the only amazing outdoor destination in Tennessee. The Cumberland Plateau is a physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains located to the west of the Great Smokies. Though the mountains here don't get quite as high, the Cumberland Plateau and its many parks (including Savage Gulf) have some of the most breathtaking scenery in Appalachia. 

Savage Gulf itself protects 15,590 acres of a stunning natural gorge carved into the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau. Thanks to this natural chasm, the park and its surrounding gulf contain magnificent canyons, cliffs, ravines, and a high concentration of waterfalls. Greeter Falls is the most famous of these, but enterprising hikers can find other amazing waterfalls in the park (including the lovely Boardtree Falls, which lies along the same hiking trail that leads to Greeter Falls). 

Until 2022, Savage Gulf was a designated natural area in the much larger South Cumberland State Park. Today, however, Savage Gulf is its own amazing park, with the equally worthwhile South Cumberland State Park right next door. Both Savage Gulf and South Cumberland State Parks feature miles and miles of some of Tennessee's best hiking trails (and best views). But for a full experience of Tennessee's natural wonders, you can't beat Greeter Falls and its epic swimming hole for sheer memorable fun.