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Best USA Waterfalls Bucket List (And the Tennessee Ones We've Already Chased)
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items We live just outside Nashville and chasing waterfalls has turned into our thing on the weekends, two little kids in tow. The first section is the ones we've actually stood in front of here in Tennessee — real trips, not a list I found online. The sec...
Map
Sections
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Tennessee Waterfalls We’ve Chased
Falls Still on the Bucket List
Tennessee Waterfalls We’ve Chased
The ones we've actually stood in front of. Every one of these is within a couple hours of Nashville and doable as a day trip.
This is the big one — the highest waterfall in the eastern U.S., and about two hours from Nashville. It's a drive, but if you're only doing one waterfall day this year, make it this one.
Fall Creek Falls
When I crave nature, this is where we go — the hike’s about 2.4 miles round trip, and the swimming hole at the bottom is worth every bit of it. It’s tucked away enough that it still feels like an escape, even though it’s not far from Nashville.
Cummins Falls
This is a good one when you want more than one waterfall in a single trip — the trail takes you past several falls instead of just one. Easy enough for a day trip, but it still feels like a real hike.
Burgess Falls
I took my nephews here when they were little — this one’s got a huge swimming hole, so it’s a good pick if you’ve got kids who want to actually get in the water, not just look at it.
Cane Creek Falls
Falls Still on the Bucket List
These are the ones still on our list — some are reserved for when the kiddos are older. These are waterfalls we haven’t made it to yet, but plan to. If you’ve been to any of these, I’d love to hear what to expect before we go.
Sits where three rivers come together, so it’s not just one waterfall but a whole scene. Adding this to our next trip.
Twin Falls Scenic
620 feet, and you can see it from the parking lot — which matters when you've got little ones who won't make a long hike. The walk to the bridge is short and paved. This is the one I'd plan a whole Oregon trip around.
Multnomah Falls, Oregon
Tallest waterfall in North America. The walk to the base is short and stroller-friendly, which is the only reason it's realistic for us right now — the summit hike is 7.6 miles and that's a someday thing.
Yosemite Falls, California
The obvious one, and I don't care — I still want my kids to see it. No hiking required, the viewing areas are right there, and the boat ride is the kind of thing they'd remember for the rest of their lives.
Niagara Falls, New York
268 feet, half an hour outside Seattle, and there's an observation deck at the top so you don't have to hike at all if the kids are done. Easy to fold into a trip instead of building a trip around it.
Snoqualmie Falls, Washington
442 feet, and the loop to see it is short and paved through actual rainforest. If we ever get the kids to Hawaii, this is on the list before the beach is.
aAkaka Falls, Hawaii
They call it the Niagara of the West and it's actually taller. Time it for spring — people show up in August and wonder where the water went. There's a picnic area right at the viewpoint.
Shoshone Falls, Idaho
Ten waterfalls on one trail, and you walk behind a few of them. The full loop is 8.7 miles but you can do just a piece of it and still see several. Best value for one trip on this whole list.
Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
Twice the height of Niagara, dropping into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Artist Point is the view everybody photographs and you can drive almost to it, which is the only reason it's realistic with a toddler and a baby.
Yellowstone Falls at Artist Point, Wyoming
The hardest one on this list and the one I want most. It's a 10 mile hike in on Havasupai land and you need a permit months ahead, so this is a someday-when-the-kids-are-older trip. Putting it here so I don't forget to plan for it.
Havasu Falls, Arizona
A waterfall 1,120 feet underground, inside a cave, about two hours from us. No hiking and no weather to plan around, which makes it the easiest one on this list to actually pull off with little kids. It's next on ours.
Ruby Falls, Chattanooga Tennessee