Updated July 2026
Big Falls (Old Stone Fort)
The largest waterfall at Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park near Manchester, dropping over a limestone shelf on the Duck River. It is the most iconic of several falls (including Step Falls and Blue Hole Falls) along the park's Enclosure Trail.
Before you go
Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check Tennessee State Parks / Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Big Falls (Old Stone Fort) drops about 30 feet. That makes it the 538th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 23% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Old Stone Fort Enclosure Trail reaches it about 1.4 miles (loop), rated easy. The nearest town is Manchester. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Tennessee State Parks / Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park for closures and current conditions.
winter-spring. Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.
More Tennessee waterfalls
- Abrams Falls · 20 ft
- Bald River Falls · 90 ft
- Benton Falls · 65 ft
- Burgess Falls · 136 ft
- Cane Creek Falls · 85 ft
- Coker Creek Falls · 40 ft
- Conasauga Falls · 35 ft
- Cummins Falls · 75 ft
Sources
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