Updated July 2026
Machine Falls
A roughly 60-foot waterfall in Short Springs State Natural Area near Tullahoma, reached via a short loop that descends into a fern-lined gorge. It is one of several falls in the natural area at the base of Normandy Lake.
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 / Short Springs State Natural Area for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Machine Falls drops about 60 feet. That makes it the 366th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 48% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Machine Falls Loop reaches it about 1.6 miles (loop) with roughly 200 feet of elevation gain, rated moderate. The nearest town is Tullahoma. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Tennessee State Parks / Short Springs State Natural Area 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
- Big Falls (Old Stone Fort) · 30 ft
- Burgess Falls · 136 ft
- Cane Creek Falls · 85 ft
- Coker Creek Falls · 40 ft
- Conasauga Falls · 35 ft
Sources
- https://www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/na-natural-areas/natural-areas-middle-region/middle-region/na-na-short-springs.html
- https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/tennessee/machine-falls-adams-falls-busby-falls-and-laurel-bluff-loop
- https://www.theoutbound.com/tennessee/hiking/hike-the-machine-falls-loop-at-short-springs-natural-area
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