Tims Ford Lake Area Attractions: Short Springs State Natural Area

Published On: June 10, 2020|Categories: Things to Do, Tims Ford Lake|Tags: Adams Falls, Bobo Creek trail, Busby Falls, machine falls, short springs state natural area, Things to Do, tims ford lake, tims ford lake things to do|

Do you love a good waterfall?

Or three???

Short Springs State Natural Area provides amazing views of Machine Falls, Busby Falls, and Adams Falls on a short, but moderately strenuous five mile loop. You should plan about two hours for this trip and bring along some bottled water.

After parking at the trail head, you will cross the street to where the trail begins. The Machine Falls Loop starts fairly level, but as you near the falls it becomes steeper.

Roughly a mile in you will see a trail marker for Adams Falls. Adams is probably the least impressive of the falls, but it is still beautiful.

Continuing on your way to Machine Falls, you will reach a wooden footbridge. From there, if you walk down the stream a ways you will get to the base of the falls. During the winter it can be frozen over, making for a magnificent image despite the cold. During the summer it is a terrific place to get a little wet and cool off.

After enjoying Machine Falls, get back on the trail, cross the bridge and make your way up the hill. Follow the Bobo Creek trail when you see the marker to view upper and lower Busby Falls. This is only about a half mile trail. You can also travel up the Laurel Bluff trail that connects back to Machine Falls if you wish.

If you really want to get up close to the falls, come prepared to get wet! And don’t forget your camera and bottled water! There is a lot of sightseeing in a short distance here, but surprisingly it’s still a well kept secret for most Tennesseans.

One thing is for certain, the Tims Ford Lake area is rich in natural beauty and there are many things to explore. We’ll dig into more fun and adventure in our upcoming posts, so stay tuned!

Thinking about moving to Tims Ford Lake?

We would love to help! We live and work on Tims Ford Lake – it’s our happy place and we would love to help you make it yours! Use the searches below to start your home search or contact us directly for a personal tour of the lake (on our boat!) or just to chat about your home buying needs.

Below are trending searches for real estate on Tims Ford Lake. Click the links to see available active listings.