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Hike to Lost Creek Falls

Sparta, Tennessee

5.0/5
based on 3 reviews

Details

Distance

0.16 miles

Elevation Gain

62 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Girls Who Hike

Lost Creek Falls are only ~0.2 miles from the parking lot! Our family visited this state natural area for the first time recently and fell in love.

GPS Coordinates:

35.84102,-85.36123

Why We Love It:

  • NO CROWDS- We only came across a few other people so, it’s a little more low key than some other popular Tennessee waterfalls. 
  • DISNEY LOVED IT- This was a filming location for Disney’s 1994 The Jungle Book!
  • CAVE- Across the path there is a large entrance to Lost Creek Cave, one of the larger caves in Tennessee. There is a waterfall in the cave, but the trek to the falls may not be safe for children. If you are sans-kids, bring your headlamps ready to explore! To be official, you can get a free permit to explore the cave at the Fall Creek Falls Nature Center. *We also love nearby Fall Creek Falls State Park!
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Features

Hiking
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Forest
Groups
Waterfall

Hike to Lost Creek Falls Reviews

Beautiful waterfalls. Be sure to wear appropriate shoes with grip on the bottom, otherwise the rocks are too slippery to navigate properly.

Site of scenes from the live action Jungle Book from the 1990’s. It is amazing this place is not better known. My favorite waterfall in middle Tennessee.

I followed directions on my apple maps to find this and prayed through the whole long drive that we weren't going to be disappointed and we were not! Eventually you pass a sign for Lost Creek Falls Natural Area and then the parking sign. Hiking to the falls is short and relatively easy. I would recommend sturdy shoes as it is slippery. There is a small clear pool at the bottom to splash in (not really deep enough to swim) and you could walk (carefully!) behind the falls. We had the falls entirely to ourselves. We had filled out liability forms earlier in the day at Fall Creek Falls to be able to enter the cave. If you didn't want to go all the way to FCF first, I think they would email you the forms, you can sign them, scan them and email them back. The cave is to the right of the trail heading down to the falls. It is a huge opening and continues as a very open tunnel with a very uneven rocky bottom. There is plenty of light to explore the opening and maybe 50-100 feet in. After that, you need a headlamp and flashlights. We did not go too far in before we thought it was enough, but it was enough. To explore nature's beauty in a non-commercial cave was magical! Having done it now, I would recommend: three sources of light (head lamp and two back up lights), sturdy shoes, long pants (so you don't get too scraped up when you fall), and a helmet. I hope to come back someday now that I've read there is a waterfall in the cave, but it is about a mile in. Do not take exploring this cave lightly, as any cave is dangerous, but this was a really great place for a slightly adventurous family to explore!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Welch's Point

Virgin Falls State Natural Area Loop

Photograph Buzzard's Roost Overlook

Hike to the Base of Fall Creek Falls

Hike to Fall Creek Falls Fire Tower

Hike to Rockhouse and Cane Creek Falls