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July 23, 2017 by Julie 9 Comments

Window Cliffs, TN – I’m Not Afraid of Heights, But I am Afraid of Falling!

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I heard about this awesome new hiking area, Window Cliffs State Natural Area in Tennessee, when I was over at Burgess Falls, and rushed right over here!

  • Trailhead Warning
  • The Hike
  • The Cliffs
  • Where to Stay
  • Related posts:

Trailhead Warning

There was only one other car in the parking lot, and I was little nervous when I saw the sign stating in red underlined and bold letters, “Difficult to Strenuous” hike with 18 water crossings plus steep ledges and high cliffs. Then it warned, “The terrain can be treacherous and hikers should be well equipped and experienced. Of course, I was neither. So I called Sean (who was working, as usual), and told him where I was in case I fell off a cliff and he had to call a search party for me. Then I headed off to give it a try.

Trail Information for hikers at Window Cliffs State Natural Area

 

The Hike

The hike starts with a fairly steep, zig zag, wooded descent and I thought to myself, “this is really going to suck coming back.”

At the bottom, I encountered the first water crossing. Each water crossing was marked with a sign and had a cable to hang on to. At this point I was thinking, “Geez I hope I don’t fall in. I don’t have my waterproof iPhone case.” Since I already lost an iPhone this year due to my clumsiness, I was a little worried. I was also wearing my LL Bean hiking shoes and long pants, but I just rolled them up and went in and slogged along the rest of the hike with wet feet. It actually wasn’t bad and I made it without falling through all nine water crossings!

The trail alternates between wooded sections to open fields, but it well blazed throughout. I did pass a few people along the way, but overall it was very quiet and peaceful. In addition to the water crossings, along the way I passed a 20-foot waterfall and several cascades.

Waterfalls at Window Cliffs State Park in Tennessee

The last ½ mile was a decent incline, but I still only rate this as moderate, not strenuous. I mean, I’m really not in that great of shape and I was not huffing and puffing at all. Originally I thought if the hike was too difficult, maybe I could go part way just to get a look, then turn around early. WRONG. You have to go 2.5 miles to get to the overlook. And once you’ve gone that far, why turn back with only ¼ mile left to go?

The Cliffs

So instead of stopping at the overlook, I headed straight for the cliffs. When you get near the end of the trail there is a sign that warns, “Climbing on the top of cliffs is very dangerous.” Right around the corner you are faced  with an even Hiking trail at Window Cliffs State Natural Areasterner warning, “Falling will cause injury or death.”

So I’m like ok, it doesn’t say I can’t climb on the top of the cliff. It just says not to fall. I’m pretty sure I can do that. So I did, and there I stood at the top of this unique geological feature 200 feet above a sharp oxbow bend of Cane Creek and it was beyond words! After taking photos (but forgetting a selfie), I sat and stayed a while to drink in the view. Ok, to be honest, I also needed to catch my breath.

Overlook from top of the cliff at Window Cliffs State Natural Area
View from the top of the cliff!

I stopped at the overlook on my way back and could not believe the sight of the cliff from a distance. This is where you can really see why the cliffs are named after windows. According the website, “Window Cliffs is a prominent geological clifftop feature that consists of a very narrow, elongated ridge that lies in the neck of an incised meander of Cane Creek.” Basically that means the erosion occurs inside the cliffs so they look like windows.

Most of the hike back was a breeze and I got very good at the water crossings.  Then I hit the last part, remember the one that was a very steep downhill descent coming in? Yeah, my prediction was right—it sucked going up. Still, I’m so glad that I made this completely unplanned detour. It really was one of the best hikes I’ve ever done!

Where to Stay

While in Tennessee, we stayed at the Crossville KOA. It’s a great campground with RV & tent sites as well as cabins to rent. Watch our video review below to see the campground, as well as other attractions in the local area.

Related posts:

Gasparilla - Tampa's Pirate Invasion
All Trails Tutorial - How to Find Great Hiking Trails & More

Filed Under: Hiking, Tennessee, USA, Window Cliffs Tagged With: hiking, hiking in Tennessee, State Natural Areas, Tennessee, Window Cliffs

Comments

  1. Dawn says

    July 26, 2017 at 5:51 am

    You are brave. I often hike alone, but I probably wouldn’t have done this one (and missed out on the beautiful views you experienced). 🙂 Your reward was amazing. I think I need to rethink my limitations and push a little harder. Thanks for sharing! Dawn

    Reply
  2. sarah says

    August 1, 2017 at 10:05 am

    You mention the park, but not the state? I know I could look it up, but I’m lazy. LOL! It looks lovely. I will add to my database of places to go when we hit the road!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 4, 2017 at 10:58 pm

      Sorry, it’s Burgess Falls State Natural Area in Putnam County, TN. The nearest city is Cookeville, and we like to stay at the KOA in Crossville, TN (which is also by another falls-Ozone Falls).

      Reply
      • SARAH G ROONEY says

        August 17, 2017 at 9:26 am

        Thanks! We’re currently developing a database for ourselves of cool places in each state! Thanks for posting.

        Reply
  3. Richard Kraemer says

    August 12, 2017 at 2:04 pm

    Congratulations! I’ve nominated you for the Blue Sky Tag Challenge Award. Click here to find out all about it: http://boofersonj.blogspot.com/2017/08/blue-sky-challenge-award.html

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 12, 2017 at 3:05 pm

      Awesome and Thank You! I’ll compose my response and link to you!

      Reply
  4. Leanna says

    August 14, 2017 at 11:09 pm

    Hiking is a wonderful outing and it sounds like you had a terrific time. The view is gorgeous.

    Reply
  5. Cat Mitchell says

    July 13, 2019 at 7:45 pm

    Great post! We visited Window Cliffs today and your info was informative and the video was spot on. Great job!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      July 14, 2019 at 5:11 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it! I plan to go back this fall as I have family nearby.

      Reply

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