short springs natural area

Pretty scenery, easy to hike. Waterfalls are beautiful. Not for older folks, has a lot of slippery areas by the falls. Clean and peaceful other wise.

Short Springs is a great natural hiking area in Coffee County, TN.It offers lots of trails, none too difficult, the main differences would just be length. You can hike to some great falls, ok maybe that is the difficult trail, but only when coming back up.It's close to my house and I love to go when the weather is nice.There is nothing around it, just a parking area. If you get lost, someone will come along eventually. There are no handicap accessibility. The trails are dirt, sometimes skinny and maintained by a wonderful group of volunteers.

Excellent hike and worth it to get to the falls. The falls are very beautiful and a moderate hike to get there. We were able to take some beautiful photos. Highly recommended.

This is a wonderful place to visit if you are in Tullahoma and enjoy hiking, nature and waterfalls. There are several miles of trails in the area and several nice waterfalls. Some of the trails involve steep drops and can be difficult to hike if you have mobility limitations. However, the trail start at a level area and much of the Machine Falls loop can be hiked without any steep drops if you do not go all the way to the falls. There is a connector trail that cuts across to reconnect with the other side of the loop without going to the falls and the walk in the woods is wonderful. Short Springs Natural Area can be a little difficult to find. There are small signs and it is on most maps and GPSs. It is also near a much easier to visit waterfall, Rutledge Falls. The parking lot for the hiking trails is next to the very large water tower. The trail head for all of the trails is across the street (notice the pedestrian crossing markings on the street) just a few feet into the woods. The first sign you see will be for the Machine Falls loop which is a very nice 3 mile hike. All of the other trails branch off of this loop. As recommended, if you are going to the Machine Falls, take the left path returning on the right path. The reason is the descent down to the creek and the falls is very step when approach from the left. Going down this side is much easier than going up. There are a lot of rock to negotiate and several nice stairs to use. If you choose to finish the loop back to the parking lot (which I recommend) the climb out is steep but a steady level climb with no rocks or stairs. When you get to the bottom of the descent, you will see the wildflower trail branch off to the left and a sign next to the bridge crossing the creek. To get to the falls, which you cannot see from the bridge, I recommend staying on the right side of the creek until you are about halfway, then you will see some stepping stone rocks that you can use to get to the left side. By then you can see the falls but will have to cross the creek on stepping stones one more time to get to the base of the falls. Do not go all this way and not go to see the falls. t is beautiful and our pictures cannot capture how nice it is. The creek is shallow and if you take your time you can easily make it to the base. Return to the parking lot by continuing on the loop. There will be two more trails that branch off along the way. The first goes to another waterfall and the last is just a nice hike in the woods. There is also a side loop to yet another falls that branches shortly after you start hiking the Machine Falls loop trail. It rejoins the Machine Falls loop trail just before it descends into the Machine Falls area. Good hiking shoes and water are recommended.

Machine Falls is really beautiful and worth the slightly strenuous hike to get there! It was a little hard to find information about Short Springs and exactly where to go to do the hike. If you go follow Country Club Ln which turns into Short Springs Rd. then park at the water tower; the hiking trails are across the street.Absolutely awesome place:)

This State Natural Area is excellent and well worth the trip, as discussed by other reviewers. Machine Falls/Machine Gun Falls is stunning. There are a number of trails; however, I only did the Machine Falls Loop.Below are a few tips when going to Machine Falls:1) The hike is easy except for the hike down to the base of the falls and back up. If you are deathly afraid of heights you might not like this hike. I'm moderately afraid of heights but managed to do the hike so it's not too bad. 2) The trail to Machine Falls is a loop which can be traversed from the left or the right. I would generally choose the left side of the loop to drop down; however, both parts of the loop are steep when going to the bottom of the falls. The left loop is better suited to descent as there are more trees and steps to assist when going down to the base on the left loop.3) Be careful with young kids. I probably would not have taken my kids when they were very young.

Beautiful, short hike to Machine Falls. The trails are wide and easy to navigate even with young children. The water at the falls is cool and refreshing on a hot day. We let the kids splash around for hours, they had a blast!!

Nice beautiful scenic walk, but secluded at times. I enjoy walking the trail with family to be safe.

I actually live near this area and it is very beautiful. If you hike just a little while you can see Machine Gun Falls. The waterfall is awesome and you can even swim in the creek if you like. Very nice for outdoor lovers.

Sublime Machine Gun Falls!!! What an incredible treasure right here in Tullahoma! The short hike is very nice, very peaceful with few other hikers, a bit tricky as you get closer to the falls, but the view is worth every effort! Love to pack a lunch and picnic by the falls! It is so beautiful that we were even disappointed when we saw the Laurel and Grotto falls in the Smokies: small falls and crowded trails. Now we know that there is no need to travel all the way there when the best falls are just around the corner!

We went with our two daughters 4 and 6 and hiked the Busby Falls trail. It was beautiful and had some great photo opportunities along with some wading/swimming spots. For adult experienced hikers there are some spots to get close to the bigger falls and the Machine Gun falls trail has the best waterfalls but we were told that the hike would be too much for the kids. Definitely make the trip if your within an hour, you will.be glad you did!

Wonderful network of trails to several waterfalls - the largest and most impressive being Machine Falls. Fantastic in early spring when the wildflowers are in bloom.

This is a favorite and is also found in the Tennessee Waterfalls book. it has five miles of trails that you may choose to hike. if you only want to see the waterfall you can take the direct route. It is a pretty good hike down and back up to this spot-but worth it. Take plenty of bottled water with you and enjoy it.

When you drive past the entrance to Short Springs State Natural Area, you probably think it is just another undeveloped bunch of woods. But hike into those woods and you discover a true gem. Deep in the 420 acres are magnificent waterfalls, acres of wildflowers, soaring trees, creeks that feed into Normandy Lake, wildlife, and the peace and quiet that city dwellers never get to experience. In the spring, the wildflowers and wild azaleas bloom, and in the fall the colors of the leaves are a sight to behold. All year round, Short Springs is a great place to hike, and you will see something different each time you visit. Recent improvements to the "steps" are suppose to make it less challenging for short people like me to get to the bottom of Machine Falls, but there is also a level trail that takes you to the top of the falls. Other trails lead to Busby Falls and the wildflower loop. Download the map of the trails before you go, wear closed-toe shoes (hiking boots are a better choice if you have them), and take water, a snack, and a camera. Parking is across the street from the entrance beside the huge water tower (put valuables in trunk and lock car). No restrooms, no concessions. Note that a tornado went through the area a number of years ago, and you will see some downed trees from that storm, but they feed the understory mosses as well as the woodpeckers. That's what a Natural Area is all about. For more information, see http://www.tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/shortspr/ plus http://www.friendsofshortsprings.org/home for calendar of special hikes.

WoW! What a great find! A friend recommended the Loop hike and we loved it! We walked the well marked trail and even got very close to the falls at both the top AND the bottom. It is some awesome scenery! One of the most awesome water fall and rock formation sites in SE Tennessee. I would compare it to Buggy Top or maybe Foster Falls. Our family had a blast. Bring drinking water and enjoy a very infrequently visited hiking opportunity.