Park staff will work to coordinate and streamline these briefings. Looking for something to do at the park? Posted by: Hannah Friel Friday, May 22, 2020. No cash is accepted on-site for the purchase of a permit. Cookeville, TN 38501

While some life jackets are available at the park, we recommend bringing your own. Maintain at least six feet of separation between you and other visitors. Nashville Office – Phone: 615.532.0001 | Email: State.Parks@tn.gov Please note: No refunds, exchanges, date transfers, or rain checks will be issued for permits. There are a few important things to note about the new permits and the reopening plan: Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the park. Tennessee State Parks does not disclose or share your personal information without your express consent. Cummins Falls State Park reopened on May 15 with a new online permitting system to limit gorge access. Park Hours are 8:00 AM until 6:00 PM. For the most up-to-date information, please check the Cummins Falls State Park Facebook page. People at the bottom of the waterfall must start walking out at 5:00 PM in order to get back to the parking lot and be out of the park by 6:00 PM. If you need assistance making facility reservations, please give us a call at (931) 261-3471. Unavailable facilities are shown on the map or list as gray icons. This will also reset your selected dates so that you can select more than one facility for the same date.

312 Rosa L. Parks Ave. | William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower | Nashville, TN 37243. Cummins Falls is a natural area with inherent safety risks. In response to COVID-19, rangers will limit park access to 50 vehicles at a time. The park uses a real-time monitoring system to track rain and water level increases in the watershed.

Park Manager Ray Cutcher said the increased access is a result from a successful launch to the program in the reopening weekend.

The base of the waterfall is only accessible on fair-weather days. Park staff will sanitise the park-owned life jackets throughout the day between uses. Donations go directly to supporting the state parks you love. ONLINE SHIRT SALES BENEFIT TN STATE PARKS, NOW OFFERING TN RESIDENT OVERNIGHT DISCOUNTS, 390 Cummins Falls Lane No lifeguards are on duty. No refunds or rainchecks will be issued. We recommend that you look for parks that are a short distance from your house. While gorge access is limited to 100 people per day, access to the overlook and other hiking trails above the gorge will not require a permit. Permits are available online only. The new safety measures come as a response to three deaths in the park from 2017 to 2019. The following items are prohibited in the gorge and at the base of the waterfall: For more information about Cummins Falls, or to view the safety briefing video, please visit tnstateparks.com/parks/Cummins-Falls. Park manager Ray Cutcher said the permit is not necessary to access other trails. LEARN MORE. You must evaluate the risks inherent in accessing the park and make your own informed decision about your ability to safely enter and exit the park. Cummins Falls State Park is an idyllic, but rugged, 282-acre day-use park located nine miles north of Cookeville on the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River on the Eastern Highland Rim. While the park is free to enter and the waterfall is visible from an overlook, access to the base of the waterfall is restricted to holders of a Gorge Access Permit. The online permit will assist park rangers in protecting visitors, staff and the natural environment. The park has opened three additional miles of hiking on the “Delia Bell Meadow Trail” for visitors to enjoy without a permit. Safety briefings will be held by park staff and these are limited for nine visitors at a time. Donate to Tennessee State Parks by rounding your total up to the nearest dollar!

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It is best to limit belongings to items that will fit in a small backpack. Cummins Falls State Park reopening with new waterfall access permit requirement (Tennessee State Parks) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Cummins Falls State Park is reopening with new required permits … USCG approved life jackets are advised if you plan to get in the water below the falls. Both routes are steep with uneven terrain and have significant elevation drops. You should comply with the park’s safety instructions. Purchase of the permit does not guarantee access to the park or the gorge. The overlook is nearby and can be accessed by foot. Would you like to add another facility to your reservation? Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation. This comes as Tennessee State Parks also responds to ongoing calls for more safety measures around the gorge. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult and must wear a life jacket while at the falls and while swimming or in the water. You must evaluate the risks inherent in accessing the park and make your own informed decision about your ability to safely enter and exit the park. We recommend that children 5 and under not enter the gorge or visit the base of the waterfall. Cummins Falls is a natural area with inherent safety risks.

The gorge and waterfall are not easily accessed and can only be reached by foot. Tennessee State Parks, a division of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, manages Cummins Falls State Park and access to the waterfall. The above-mentioned rules are in conjunction with previously established management practices at the park: Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult and must wear a life jacket while at the falls and while in the water or swimming. Click the link below to see a list of available maps for this park. June 2020 update: the park has increased the daily permit limit to 150.

Select your desired date to purchase Gorge Access Permit(s) at Cummins Falls State Park. Website designed and developed by TDEC Division of Digital Media and Publications. Flash flooding at the base of the waterfall and in the gorge could occur any time rain is. Notice: You must have a printed or digital (email) copy of this dated permit with you if you enter the Cummins Falls Gorge area. Access to the gorge is subject to weather events, and the gorge may be closed without warning. Site is protected by reCAPTCHA by Google. Children under 12 must wear approved PFDs while swimming or in water. The description window of any unavailable facility includes a large blue button with "Show Available Dates".

Donations directly support the state parks you love. The hike to the gorge is not an improved trail. Please remember to clean up after your pet. Are you looking for a park map? “There’s a fee of $6,” Cutcher said. The gorge is prone to flash flooding. Wear sturdy shoes. You must follow all park rules, including but not limited to: Access to the gorge is subject to weather events, and the gorge may be closed without warning. The hike to the base of the waterfall is a strenuous and physical activity. Officials say visitors who go … Please retain this gift card in case you cancel or modify your reservation.

People at the bottom of the waterfall must start walking out at 5:00 PM in order to get back to the parking lot and be out of the park by 6:00 PM. Flipflops are not recommended. By purchasing this permit, you have acknowledged that: Cummins Falls State Park (the "park") is a rugged and inherently dangerous natural area subject to flash flooding with little to no prior warning.

A spray bottle filled with alcohol will be available by the life jackets in the event park staff are unavailable to sanitize the life jackets. Please read safety information below before planning to hike to the base of the waterfall. The base of the waterfall is only accessible on fair-weather days. Consider coming earlier in the day to allow for plenty of time if an area is full and you need to adjust your plans. We have hiked Cummins Falls many times. No cash is accepted on-site for the purchase of a permit. Tennessee State Parks may limit access to certain parks or areas if capacity is reached. Visitors wishing to enter the gorge will be required to purchase a permit and present confirmation of the purchase, either in paper or electronic form.

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