#9 - Virgin Falls Trail
Virgin Falls State Natural AreaLength: 8.7 mi • Est. 3 h 31 m
Situated halfway between Nashville and Knoxville, the Virgin Falls Natural Area is a striking natural landscape. Visitors here find rolling forested hills, hidden creeks, waterfalls, and more.
The area is named after Virgin Falls, an underground stream that emerges out of a cave, and then drops over a 100 foot cliff. The beautiful falls at the end make the hike worth it. The trail is about 9 miles round-trip, and can take anywhere between 5 - 8 hours.
The trail is long and on the moderate side of difficult. Make sure to start early in the day so you have enough sunlight to make it out! If you'd like to make this into a backpacking trip, there is camping at Overlook Junction, Martha's Pretty Point, Virgin Falls, and Caney Fork.
If you don't want to go all the way to the falls, there are some great points-of-interest along the way. Hikers will pass Big Branch Falls, Overlook Junction, Martha's Pretty Point, caves (unfortunately closed due to white nose syndrome), and a fun cable crossing.
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