WINDOW CLIFFS STATE NATURAL AREA

Spring is finally starting to show its face in Tennessee and boy have we missed it.. for real for real. After two full months of working and music gigs, Vinay and I finally had a day off together on Sunday, and the weather was absolutely beautiful - a high of 64 degrees and full sun!

We decided to find a new area to explore, and in our search, we came across Window Cliffs State Natural Area. Window Cliffs is located in the Burgess Falls State Park in Baxter, TN.. only about an hour and a half from Nashville. After opening in 2017, hikers found that the trail is a total of 5.3 miles, out and back. While this trail is labeled as hard on alltrails.com, we thought of it more as a medium-difficulty trail. 

Once parked, hikers follow a gravel road to the entrance of the trail. From there, you'll hike down to the first creek. Keep in mind.. there are nine creek crossings in and nine creek crossings back - totaling eighteen. Each are marked "C.C. #_". Tip of the day - leave your hiking boots on! The rocks are super slippery in the creek, and being barefoot makes it ten times more difficult.. not only that, but you'll waste time taking off and putting on your boots. 

After creek crossing #8, you'll come to the Window Cliffs overlook and the gorgeous waterfall! These are both worth a little break from hiking! One more creek and a hike up the hill will bring you to Window Cliffs!

I am quite afraid of heights.. legs shaking, head spinning, stomach dropping - the works.. and I'm not going to lie, I felt all of these things at the top of Window Cliffs, but it is absolutely beautiful! When visiting Window Cliffs, please be respectful of the limestone. They ask that you not climb on the limestone windows, not only for the prevention of erosion, but also for your safety. After hanging out a bit on the cliffs, hike back to the car the same route you came in! The park closes one hour before sundown, currently 4:30pm. We started our hike at 1pm and arrived back at the car at 5pm, although we did stop a few times to take pictures and observe nature, so it is possible to complete faster. Have fun!