Middle Tennessee Hidden Gem
We booked our stay at the Greeter Falls campground back in 2024 with lots of thought behind the decision. I knew that I hadn’t been camping a lot but I wanted to start being more outdoorsy when it came to places I stay. I chose Greeter Falls because they have a waterfall on property, an incredible clean bathhouse, and lots of choices for where to stay. We chose to tent camp and while this did seem like a good idea at the time, we ended up being flooded in the middle of the night in our tent that was on a downhill slope in the middle of the woods during a tornado warning. Our stay did not start out the way we had hoped, but looking back I’m so glad we stuck it out. This trip we went to some of the most unforgettable hikes during this stay. Which is what leads me to my next topic.
Busby Falls – Coffee County Tennessee
I’d like to start off by saying many people over look Busby Falls due to the fact that people normally view them only from the trail above. Although for those not faint of heart, there is a way to see them from the base and there is truly no words to describe the view. There are not enough wonderful things I can say about this hike. There are so many different things you can see during this loop and I highly recommend taking the better half of your day to dedicate to this trail since there are different waterfalls, as well as some random floral loops you can take as well. I personally would stick to the main 2 trails instead of going off on the smaller trails. The smaller trails were not as well maintained and I was pretty concerned about snakes since it was so grown over and near the stream. Machine Falls and Busby Falls alone will keep you busy for at least half a morning. Both waterfalls are incredible but Busby Falls has easily landed on my top 5 favorite waterfalls.
To start off, this specific waterfall is on the same loop as Machine Falls. If you google maps “busby falls” you won’t be able to find it specifically, I recommend just typing in “Machine Falls” since it is more popular and on the same trail. Once there, parking is easy to find with the address and I didn’t feel concerned for our vehicle while we were here. Everything seemed well kept up with the area nearby.
I would highly recommend doing a bit of research on the trail itself before going. There were signs but they weren’t completely accurate or descriptive. Us, along with many other people, vocalized getting turned around while looking for specific areas. Although we did take the Right pathway so the Left potentially could have been easier. If you stay towards the right when you start you will eventually get to some signs that say Busby Falls. You will take some stairs down and cross a bridge at one point where it takes you near the Upper Busby Falls. Although if you are an off-roader like us you will enjoy Lower Busby Falls much more. We found the lower falls by simply walking down the left hand side of the water and we eventually crossed over through the stream, to the right hand side (if you’re moving towards the lower falls). You eventually will hear the lower falls and this is where getting to the lower falls gets tricky. It is a little hard to get down to the base as you will definitely have to do some climbing down the waterfall. It is not huge so I wasn’t concerned for my safety at any point, but I would not recommend this for anyone who has mobility issues. I would also recommend having a really good pair of water shoes because they will absolutely get wet. I personally just wear my hiking boots and I don’t really mind if they’re wet as long as I know that I don’t have much further to hike.
Once you’re at the bottom the view is truly like something out of a Lord of the Rings fantasy movie. There are 2 falls ,technically, at the bottom. One of them is the wide falls that you had to climb down getting there. This is the main falls and is definitely the bigger of the 2. It is an incredibly wide, but stacked, falls. It stands roughly ,according to Google, 30 ft although frankly they did not seem that high to me. I would’ve guessed maybe 15 feet. I think this is where misinformation comes in due to the falls not being that popular. The water from the larger falls cascaded down in to the an insanely clear pool of water. Although the water was deep enough to swim in, you could easily see your feet from how clear it was. There were small pebbles lining the whole bottom of the area that were soft enough that you didn’t need shoes to swim. You could swim over to the larger waterfall and climb around or explore the entire area without having to be worried about it being too deep or there being a current.
The second smaller waterfall (pictured below) is a light stream coming from off the side of the hill. This waterfall is incredibly mystical and this moment truly felt like something out of a dream for me. When the sunlight cast in and hit the water just right you could see an array of different colored pebbles and everything that was in the water as clear as day. You could easily see your shoes and feet through the water even when you were standing waist deep. I am normally one to be scared of snakes while swimming because I hate not being able to see what’s in the water, but I never once even thought of that here. I don’t think anything could have made this moment more magical.
This was such a serene spot, I could have easily stayed here for hours and made a whole day out of it. There’s even an area at the furthest corner from the falls (behind where this photo was taken) where there is just a small island of rocks that you could picnic on or lay out a towel to just relax near the water. Due to this being one of the less popular trails, I don’t think there is much information out there about this waterfall. We were the only 2 people here the entire time and we spent almost an hour here. We also went at the end of May which may have been a less popular time of year but even still, it was the perfect weather for swimming.
Both Machine Falls and Busby Falls trails are dog friendly and I personally think this spot would be perfect to bring your furry friend on. The location is secluded in an area all by itself and you would easily be able to keep an eye on any dogs. If you’re courageous enough to bring your children hiking with you I also think this would be the perfect spot for easily accessible swimming that has shallow water and a breathtaking view. It took us roughly 15 minutes to get back from our car from here. I am unsure the mileage because the only thing listed on Google is that the whole loop itself is roughly 1.6 miles. I would guess that if you chose to do an out and back just to Busby Falls it may be roughly a mile.
I would recommend this hike for anyone looking for a hike that is a little more adventurous, although a lot more rewarding. Seeing a waterfall is one thing but experiencing the waterfall takes it to an entirely different level. The short hike, easy climb, and beautiful water all to ourselves made this trip worth every minute. If you’re looking for a spot to cool off the next time you’re in Middle Tennessee I highly encourage you to explore lower Busby Falls from the base.
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