Logo Waterfalls in the Rock Creek Gorge - 1
Cherokee National Forest, Polk Co., TN
All Text & Images:
Copyright (2017)

There are at least a dozen named waterfalls in this gorge.   I visited 5 of the ones at the
lower end on this day, walking upstream from the Clemmer south trailhead.  There was
evidence that this was another area hit by last fall's regional wildfires.

Lwr_Rock_Creek_Falls
Lower Rock Creek Falls


Lwr_Rock_Crk_Falls_photo
1938 photo of Lower Rock Creek Falls, taken by Albert (Dutch) Roth
Roth titled this image "Thornburg Mountain Falls".
The large round boulder at brink of falls on right side is partially obscured by a
fallen tree in my photo above.   Rock Creek Falls (see below) is visible in the rear.





Rock_Creek_Falls
Rock Creek Falls


Rock_Creek_Falls
1938 photo of Rock Creek Falls, taken by Dutch Roth
Titled "Falls between Benton Falls and Parkville Lake".



Rock_Creek_Falls
Rock Creek Falls


Rock_Creek_Falls
Rock Creek Falls




Lower_Falls
Chestnut Mountain Falls, on Rock Creek


Lower_Falls
Chestnut Mountain Falls


Old_Chestnut_Falls_photo
1938 photo of this waterfall, taken by Dutch Roth


Fire_damage
Stone amphitheatre in which Chestnut Mtn Falls sits


Wildcat_Creek_flow
A rare selfie, showing the scale of the falls


Wildcat_Creek_flow
Chestnut Mountain Falls, a different angle




Big_Bluff_Falls
Big Bluff Falls on Laurel Branch
(Waterfall name/ID per Tennessee Landforms website.)





Upper_Thornburg_Ridge_Falls
Upper section of Thornburg Ridge Falls, on Laurel Branch.
(Waterfall name/ID per Tennessee Landforms website.)



Upper_Thornburg_Ridge_Falls
Same waterfall, taken by Dutch Roth in the 1930s.


Rock_slab_bridge
View under the rock slab bridge at brink of Upper Thornburg Ridge Falls


Rock_bridge
Top of Thornburg Falls' upper section, showing the water flowing under the rock slab bridge.




Burned_bank
Burned bank along creek; evidence of this past fall's wildfires.



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