Water is restless – always moving and always seeking to reinvent itself in Earth’s magnificent cycle. Life-giving rains fall furiously upon a mountaintop launching millions of tiny droplets, each seeping and creeping downward in search of its next state of being.
Some beads nurture elaborate networks of roots while others find themselves whisked away in the rushing waters of rivers and creeks before plunging from precipices into frothy pools below. These waterfalls, surrounded by lush, green landscapes and beefy boulder gardens, rank among Mother Nature’s most majestic creations. Their swishing, soothing waters sing soulful songs. Born from the grinding forces of plate tectonics and geology, the region’s ridges, valleys and mountains provide ideal terrain and topography for waterfalls.
Whether you travel north, south, east or west of Chattanooga, these wonders of the natural world await your discovery.
The Laurel-Snow Trail was Tennessee’s first national recreation trail. Its waterfall plunges 80ft from its Laurel Creek source.EXPLORE LOVELY LAUREL FALLS
Just 50 miles north of Chattanooga, the Laurel-Snow State Natural Area near Dayton showcases two impressive waterfalls.
Laurel Falls, an 80-foot display of tumbling plunge and tiered waters, handsomely rewards ambitious day hikers for their 5-mile roundtrip journey. The moderate trail delivers lovely views as it meanders upstream along scenic Richland Creek, crossing three foot bridges before a steep zigzag ascension to Laurel Falls. The area around the waterfall offers plenty of secluded rocks and openings to perch upon and ponder all of life’s mysteries and decisions.