Tennessee (Caryville / Cove Lake State Park)

Trip Summary

When you need to get away from the stress of your job, the world news, family stress, and whatever else is going on, you turn to nature, right? Or at least I do. I started hiking a lot last year on the weekends, and one of my absolute favorite spots with the BEST overlook was in Caryville, Tennessee. It had always been a saved hike in my AllTrails app, but it was a little further away than I usually drive for hikes and the “hard” rating on the app intimidated me. But when I saw a former student post pictures of the hike on social media, I saw it as a sign–it was time to check this place out!

The full hike starts at Cove Lake State Park, and if you use the AllTrails app, it takes you a parking lot where you can get started. After reading the reviews, I had seen complaints about the trail not being marked well, so I made sure to keep a close eye on the map on my phone, and it was a good thing I did as I had to make a lot of detours due to fallen trees due to a recent storm. Some trees are marked with paint, so that made it easier to stay on the trail, but I could definitely see how it would be easy to lose track of the path.

At one point, the trail veered away from the road and seemed to go up a ladder over a fence into what seemed like private property and this is when I really started second-guessing my plans, thinking is this right? After checking and rechecking the map, it seemed to be the right way, and I am so glad that I kept going because the waterfalls were ahead!

These waterfalls are called various things by the locals–such as Triple Falls and Little Egypt–and they are possibly the most unusual waterfalls I have seen. There are several steep drops, each one more impressive than the other, and they all fall into a beautiful watering hole. Visiting this place after a storm, I could also see water still trickling off the rock faces on the side of the falls, and this was mesmerizing to watch, especially as there are several points on the trails where you can get quite close to the water and admire the rush as the water churns past.

This is where the trail got good, because as you progressed past the waterfalls, the ascent steepened, and you could tell you were really getting closer to that overlook! More trees were down here, too, so after some more detours, I finally reached the rocks that signaled that I was at the top! The overlook is quite large and if you go to the right, you get to one of the more popular picture taking spots as there is an American flag posted there. And the view! Oh, my goodness! I had seen pictures of the view, but it is a whole different thing to see it in person!

The day was cloudy, but as I reached the top, the view had cleared just enough to see the valley and all the beauty below! The expanse reached for miles and miles, and being the only one up on the overlook, I just took it all in for as long as I could. It was so peaceful, and I really could have stayed there all day, but I knew that I had a fair hike back, so I started back down.

On the way back, I took some more pictures by the waterfalls and noticed…a second parking lot! This one would have been so much easier to park in as it took you directly to the better part of the trail, but I couldn’t find it on the AllTrails app, so if you go, go to that one if you can find it! The rest of the trail is entirely skippable, and as I was making my way back, I noticed that the trail markers were not near as plentiful on the return trip and that combined with all the fallen trees made the last part just pure drudgery. At one point, the trail goes along a rock embankment on the side of a highway, but that part is not marked at all, and it was just another frustration to add to the list.

But soon enough, I was back to where I parked, and even with all the frustrations, the waterfalls and the view at the top were worth all the frustrations several times over! I would totally do the hike again (from that second parking lot!) and the pictures I took at the top are ones I will save forever as it was definitely one of the biggest payoffs I’ve gotten on a hike! So pretty and definitely a spot to add to your hiking list if you are in the area!

So my rating is a bit mixed for this one. If you go the second parking lot by the waterfalls, it gets an A–easy! But if you park where I did at the beginning of the trail, that part of the trail really sucks, and the lack of signs and all the fallen trees made it hard to enjoy these portions.

Devil’s Racetrack Trail: A (from second parking lot); B- (from first parking lot)

Favorite Experiences

The waterfalls and the overlook were my definite favs! Being alone at the top and just enjoying the peace and quiet was so nice. Both areas are great for pictures, and you can get great panoramic shots in both places. The flag at the top is probably one of the most popular spots to take a picture, but the base of it is on a ledge that is a little tricky to climb out to (and has a steep drop!). Since I was alone, I wasn’t brave enough to venture out there, but had others been there, I might have. Even so, the view is gorgeous, and the overlook remains one of the best I’ve seen!

What I Wish I Knew

Okay, that second parking lot! Definitely go there if you are going to hike this. If you google Triple Falls Parking Lot, you’ll get an actual address that you can plug into your GPS, but I didn’t know about this parking lot until I passed it on the way back. Seriously, go here first and the trail is not bad at all–better marked and all the good bits!

Also, I don’t know how often the trail is cleared from debris and trees, but after the storm, some sections were almost impassable, so make sure you are wearing pants, good shoes, and that you have your AllTrails map open, because it is easy to lose track of the trail going around all those areas.

Finally, be sure that you go on a clear day, because you don’t want to put in all that effort to get to the top only to have the clouds obstruct your view! Luckily, the overlook was clear for me, but I could see it being very frustrating if the day were stormy and I couldn’t see below. The waterfalls get rougher after a storm, too, so be very careful if you decide to wade in as the drops between each one are quite steep. There is even some spray paint on some of the rocks with a frowny face and Xs for the eyes, so let that be an indication that it is dangerous to go too far! Be safe, and enjoy the views, because they are truly unforgettable! So blessed to live in a state that is this beautiful–here’s to many more hikes in the near future!

I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:

TikTok: @touristyteacher

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Happy travels!