Rutledge Falls

Good Morning from Space City USA! I hope you were able to get out and enjoy the weekend in spite of how hot and sultry the days were. My thoughts and prayers go out to my friends in Louisiana and all they are experiencing with the rains and the flooding.

Last week when leaving Nashville a friend of mine offered to take me to a special place she had found on one of her driving journeys. Her special place was a piece of heaven on earth, a secluded waterfall called Rutledge Falls in Tullahoma, TN. The amazing thing about the waterfall is that is on private property and the owners’ welcome public access to the area. They have gone so far as to provide a parking area, signs and a foot trail into the woods to allow visitors to enjoy the area. As you walk into the woods you begin to hear the roar of the falls and are greeted by a statue at the head of the trail. I was unable to find out any information about the nature of the statue but felt it was a settling welcome to all visitors.

The waterfall is visible from the where the statue stands and as we took in the beauty of the area you could easily see why the area was frequented by locals and individuals such as myself that hear about its beauty. One could tell that this was a very special destination for the locals and easily a photographer’s paradise. The one very disappointing aspect about our visit was the amount of trash that we encountered that littered the area. For me, I find it difficult to understand how individuals that are given this gift feel so easily inclined to not appreciate the opportunity and are so casual about leaving their trash. It was very disheartening to look around the falls and see the amount of litter that had been left behind. We did all we could to appreciate the moment because the waterfall is absolutely breathtaking. I could only image how majestic it would be when the river was full.

As we exited the area my friend decided to do what she could and collected as much of the debris that she could carry out. Signs for the falls asked that visitors take out what they bring and warned that the falls may be closed to public access if this policy was not adhered to. It boggles my mind that people can be so unappreciative of this beauty. I hope they wake up so they do not ruin it for all of us that love getting outdoors.

Rutledge Falls is the perfect day trip from Nashville or Huntsville and offers public access to one of natures natural beauties. We are slowly seeing these beautiful locations and access to them diminished by urban sprawl. I can only hope that it will continue to be open to the public. My plan is to visit often and take a “larger” trash bag with me next time. ENJOY!!