Headed to Burgess Falls late on Saturday and came back on Sunday night. It was worth the drive!
I saw some pictures of this waterfall last summer, 2021, and instantly wanted to go. You can view the top of the falls from an observation deck.
Burgess Falls is located on the Falling Water River. There is a Burgess Falls State Park that I mistook as a put in location. The state park is available for day use and has about a 2.7 mile trail for hiking. This trail is considered difficult to strenuous and is 5.4 miles for the entire loop.
The 5.4 mile loop trail has a total of 18 creek crossings. During high waters, it can be a challenge or impassable in some areas since there are no bridges and only cables and rock crossings.
However, the real view is from the lake.
For a water put-in, the closest location to the falls is Cane Hollow Rec Area. This is where we put in.
From the Rec Area to Burgess falls, it is about 2 miles one way. The entire trip took about 4 hours. We didn't boogie it the entire way and the currents were pretty strong as we got closer the the Cane Hollow.
You can see Burgess Falls by jetski, kayak or any other shallow boat.
Just on the lake
If you go by kayak, it was a bit rough getting back closer to Cane Hollow Recreation Area. It’s about 4 miles round trip.
By boat, the closest marina on Center Hill Lake is Cookeville Boat Dock. And apparently there is another waterfall called Fancher Falls nearby.
Very cool to see Burgess Falls coming around the bend.Remains of the power mill. It’s located right before the falls.
There is another waterfall that you can see from the lake as well. It's called Francher Falls, but it's not as a large or spectacular waterfalls like Burgess Falls. We did not make it to this waterfall, nor did we plan on it. It was not on the way, and the distance is much further.
Just of list of wants of things that I'd like to do, close to Atlanta and further out. My list starts with things that I'd like to do but the location doesn't matter, then it will be location based, starting with Georgia then the surrounding states.
Each place will have an update and link to the corresponding post.
Let's have some adventure!
Not Location based
Halo Skydiving
A HALO jump can also be referred to as a high altitude. I've skydived several times now and since then I want to go higher! A regular skydive is roughly around 14,500 feet in the air where a halo jump is between 15,00 and 35,000 feet in the air.
A day of waterfalls
I seems to have quite a bit of waterfalls on my list and that's fine with me. I think what I'll do is plan a weekend and do as many waterfalls as possible.
I think that will be fun!
Pics of all covered bridges in Georgia
I'm not sure why, but I just have a fascination with covered bridges. I just think that they are super neat.
for georgia
Raven Cliff Falls, GA
This is also accessible from South Carolina as well.
Taccoa Falls, GA
I've been here before and those steps are killer. I didn't go to the base or go to the sliding rocks at that time and those are the two things that I'd like to do there.
Anna ruby falls, ga
This is a set of twin falls not to far from Helen, GA.
Zip line across the chattahoochee river in Columbus
This will just be fun and an adrenaline rush.
Tenneessee
Kayak Burgess Falls, TN
This was on my list from last summer. It didn’t happen, but did go to Emerald Cove, AZ last summer.
This is a a found pic from the Internet.
Update: I did go kayaking here. Super fun! It was also my pup's first time in a kayak and he did very well.
I'm a big believer that Adventure doesn't have to be those escapes to Maldives or all exclusive resorts. They are nice and no hate to them, but realistically it's not for everyone.
It's all in what you make of your current surroundings.
I often hear from people I know, “You go to all these cool places” or “You’re always doing something”. I still have down time, a full-time career, this website takes time, and I’m working on some side hustles. So keep in mind that what you see in the internet isn’t always as it seems. Again, it’s not 100% reality and as people we tend to forget that.
The Ten Adventure Tips
Tip One - Start locally and expand from there.
There are so many people that live in an area but they simply never go out and that is mind boggling to me. Take for instance, the Metro Atlanta area. There are so many things to see in and around Atlanta to do that range from yearly festivals to one-time events.
Unless you live in the middle of nowhere I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to go out and see what is beyond their four walls.
Tip Two - Timing - Take a half day and go to local festival. In my area, they typically have a Summer Concerts on Friday Nights and Thursday Movie Nights at the downtown amphitheater.
Tip Three - Do something you haven't done before as an indoor activity. Try a painting or pottery class. If that's not your thing, try axe throwing. I went with a group and it ended up being one of the more fun nights out. You don't know until you try.
Tip Four - Do something you haven't done before as an outdoor activity. One of the things on my list is a twilight hike at Sweetwater Park. I wrote this in 2019 and it's still on my list. Some things just stay on the list until they don't. The point is to keep adding to it.
Tip Five -Take mini-vacations instead of long ones throughout the year. If you're up for a weekend excursion, take an overnight trip to a local city. I'm located in the Atlanta Metro Area and my choices would be Chattanooga, TN or Asheville, NC. Up for a longer trip, take a Friday and/or Monday off. Use Google Flights or your favorite airline for cities that are just a tad farther. For me a recent trip to New Orleans was a much needed extended weekend.
Tip Six - Get creative with your money. Being adventurous, may sometimes require you to be creative with your money beforehand. I'm not talking about getting a side hustle or anything like that. If you have unlimited amounts of funds good for you, but if your funds are limited, you can still do the little things that add up. Some people car camp when they go places while others may meal prep when they are not adventuring. These are some things that allow you to have more cash to go visit places. Plus it's a good thing for your wallet anyways.
Tip Seven - You've got to be open-minded. Don't have your idea of your adventures are going be all blue skies. Expect the unexpected and when it occurs, roll with it and make the most of it. After all, anything that happens is part of the adventure.
It's the journey and not the destination.
Tip Eight - Use social media to your advantage. There are plenty Facebook Groups that are local to your city, surrounding counties or state and by interest. Some of them might be more active than others, but once you find them you'll be able to network with others and expand your adventure friends and adventure list.
Tip Nine - Be aware of your surroundings and trust your gut. There have been several times I had plans to go somewhere and something just didn't sit right, so I didn't go. That instinct is worth listening to. Do your research beforehand and play it smart.
Tip Ten - Be flexible and be prepared. Things happen: a campsite falls through, plans change, the weather turns. Keep your options open and pack for the unexpected. A small poncho takes up almost no space and the one time you leave it behind is exactly when a popup shower shows up. But when things do go sideways, roll with it. That's part of the adventure. Some of the best moments come from the plans that didn't work out.
None of this requires a big budget or a packed schedule. Start with what's around you, say yes to something new, and go from there. The rest takes care of itself.
The same framework in these tips -- start where you are, take small steps, track what is working -- is how I approach marketing strategy. Here is what that looks like in practice.
Cathy Gray is an eCommerce and digital marketing specialist based in Atlanta, GA, with nearly a decade of experience helping B2B businesses sell more online. Outside of work she's chasing waterfalls, kayaking rivers, and finding dark skies to camp under. Her dog Sam is officially retired from adventures but still supervises from the couch. None of it happens without coffee.
