Burgess Falls State Park
| Burgess Falls State Park | |
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Burgess Falls
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| Type | state park |
| Location | Putnam and White counties, Tennessee |
| Area | 350 acres (1.4 km2) |
| Created | 1971 |
| Operated by | Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation |
Coordinates: 36°02′39″N 85°35′39″W / 36.04417°N 85.59418°W
Burgess Falls State Park is a state park and state natural area in Putnam County and White County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. The park is situated around a steep gorge in which the Falling Water River drops 250 feet (76 m) in elevation in less than a mile, culminating in a 136-foot (41 m) cataract waterfall.
The Burgess Falls State Natural Area, which covers 350 acres (1.4 km2), is managed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The Falling Water River rises near the base of the Cumberland Plateau in eastern Putnam County and winds its way across the Highland Rim to its mouth along the Center Hill Lake impoundment of the Caney Fork, which is located in an area where the Highland Rim drops off into the Central Basin. The Burgess Falls State Natural Area comprises the section of the river just above its mouth, where the river drops from roughly 900 feet (270 m) atop the Highland Rim to just over 600 feet (180 m) at Center Hill Lake.
Over time, the Falling Water River's rapids have cut a deep gorge just above its mouth. The river drops to the Central Basin in a series of cascades and waterfalls, each gaining in size and intensity as the river approaches Center Hill Lake. At the Falling Water Cascades, located just downstream from the old Burgess Falls Dam, the river gradually spills over a 10-foot (3.0 m) embankment of rocks. Almost immediately downstream from the Cascades, the river drops another 30 feet (9.1 m) at Little Falls. Beyond Little Falls, where the river briefly bends to the north, is an 80-foot (24 m) cascade known as Middle Falls. Downstream from Middle Falls, where the river bends westward again, is the 136-foot (41 m) Burgess Falls. The distance between Falling Water Cascades and Burgess Falls is less than a mile. Burgess Falls spills into a large limestone gorge enclosed by sheer walls 100–200 feet (30–60 m) high. The Falling Water River enters Center Hill Lake downstream from Burgess Falls.
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