The Natchez Trace Parkway is 444 miles of slow moving traffic lined with plenty of stops for history along with natural beauty. The Natchez Trace Parkway has 3 waterfalls along it. I’m super lucky that two of these are located close to Nashville.
Natchez Trace Waterfalls here I come!
The Natchez Trace Parkway begins about 20 miles from downtown Nashville. So one cool Friday morning, we headed out.
The first waterfall located just south of mile marker 405, is Jackson Falls. Jackson Falls is named after Tennessee’s own President Andrew Jackson. A rather unsuspecting falls, the stop overlooks the river also has a restroom. The paved trail to the falls is less than .25 miles but is very steep. There is a hand rail to assist you on the way down. The trail down is surrounded by mossy rocks with some water flow. Notice that the water really falls twice. Once from the west then again from the south. The climb down to get closer and across from the falls can be tricky so be careful!
Just for the hell of it we took the trail that runs north from behind the restrooms to Baker Bluff overlook. The Overlook is the next exit from Jackson Falls. The hike was nice enough but you couldn’t really see the river and I didn’t see and Overlook really.
13 miles to the next Natchez Trace Waterfall
Fall hollow falls is located just south of mile marker 392. The Falls are easy to see just a short distance from the parking area. To get down to the falls requires a rather rocky and steep climb but only takes about 20 minutes. Along the way you do have to jump over a small creek that soon waterfalls itself. I absolutely LOVEd this area. Its amazing that such a tranquil beautiful area is just steps away from the Parkway. Even if you can only see the top part, its a glorious stop.
Plus a waterfall right here in Nashville (sort of)
The West Meade waterfall is located in the middle of a subdivision in West Meade Nashville. This made me hesitant to go check it out. I didn’t want to clog up someones driveway or streets just to look at a waterfall.
No need to worry. The area is on a small side street that only has one house. There’s plenty of space for you to get out and check it out without being in anyones way.
In 2013, a land conservation group acquired 3.77 acres of property. The property was then transferred to Nashville Metro Parks in 2015.

I’ve seen pictures where it looks like a nice waterfall but not the day I was there. There was a trickle and you could see a bit of the stream but nothing impressive. And it had rained the day before! Oh well. Check it out if you have time and it’s rained recently in Nashville. Otherwise, move on to something better.
If you wish to visit, the address is 404 Hathaway Ct, Nashville, TN 37205.
So, remember any time you find yourself in Middle Tennessee check out these TWO Natchez Trace waterfalls.
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