The Savage Gulf area of Middle Tennessee contains lots of adventures to be had in nature. The sprawling 19,000 acres of canyons, woods, waterfalls, creeks, bluffs, campgrounds and wildlife remain a popular spot for hiking, camping and climbing.

Formerly under the South Cumberland State Park umbrella, Tennessee designated Savage Gulf as its own state park in 2022.

The park’s north trailhead, just off Tennessee Highway 56 in the Beersheba Springs community, between McMinnville and Altamont, gives visitors a way to see a couple of unique Savage Gulf features: Laurel Falls (of the Savage Gulf variety of course, and not the Smoky Mountain’s Laurel Falls, a popular point in its own right in that park) and the Great Stone Door.

Near a small rangers’ station that sits at the Savage Gulf North Trailhead area, a sign marks the entrance to the Laurel Falls Loop Trail. This sign actually measures the distance to the falls in yards, rather than miles, as many posted hiking trails do; it’s only 287 yards to the falls, according to the sign.

And stairs of some type lead nearly all of the way down to Laurel Falls, whether fashioned out of earth and wood, standard constructed wooden staircases, or large slabs of arranged rocks.

Within a matter of minutes, walkers arrive at a wooden overlook platform to view the 80-foot-tall Laurel Falls, named for the mountain laurel that blooms in the area.

The falls thundered following heavy May rainfall, the creek flowing powerfully along, making a cool sight in the thickly shaded but humid section of forest.

While the hillside is quite steep on the side of the waterfall that contains the overlook, if hikers were to cross the creek above the falls—which would likely require walking in water and getting feet wet—the bank on the opposite side appears gentle enough to descend to the base.

Or, traveling upstream from the falls a little ways reveals a good spot to get in the creek, splash and throw some stones.

A miniature waterfall feature on a smaller stream that empties into the main creek catches the attention of a visitor as the water gently pours and pours, no end in sight.

Continuing on the Laurel Falls Loop Trail leads to quite an incline on the way back up, but the entire round trip, approximately three-tenths of a mile, can be made quickly, a brief excursion for a cool payoff.

So, many hikers recommend embarking upon both the Laurel Falls and Great Stone Door trails in one trip, even for beginning-level hikers.

The Stone Door Trail, less than a mile itself, leads to a rocky overlook of hills and valleys, providing some spectacular views of the gulf.

A section of this trail is paved, the remainder is fairly flat, and the Great Stone Door destination is a fantastically special place to view the Tennessee landscape.

Plus, the Great Stone Door feature is split by a crag that contains approximately 132 stairs that leads down the narrow crevice in between the two large cliffs on each side.

From here, other trails offer further options for exploring Savage Gulf. But Laurel Falls and Great Stone Door offer enough adventure for some hiking parties.

Note: black bears have been spotted in the area recently.

So, an accurate description of the area could be “frogs and bears and lots of stairs.”

Aside from this scenic Laurel Falls and Great Stone Door excursion, the expansive Savage Gulf State Park offers four primary trail entrances at various points around the park’s edge to access this beautiful segment of Tennessee wilderness, near the towns of Altamont, Beersheba Springs, Gruetli-Laager and Pelham–visit them all!

And even if you have seen a portion of Savage Gulf in one season, going to that very place during a different time of year can look far different.

For more information on Savage Gulf State Park, maps, camping and climbing permits and more, visit tnstateparks.com/parks/savage-gulf.

IF YOU GO:

Laurel Falls/Great Stone Door
Savage Gulf North Trailhead
1183 Stone Door Rd.
Beersheba Springs, Tennessee