Jackson County: Rivers, Waterfalls, and Living History

In Jackson County, river landscapes, waterfalls, and historic sites come together. Roaring River, Cordell Hull Lake, and the surrounding natural areas offer a range of travel experiences: you can fish and swim, observe wildlife, take a scenic drive, or explore the history of a former riverboat town. When choosing a vacation apartment or vacation home, it is therefore particularly important to consider which focus you want for your days.

River, Lake, and Nature Experiences

Roaring River flows 37.7 miles to its confluence with Cordell Hull Lake. At Roaring River Park on the lake, visitors can go boating, fish, swim, hunt, and hike. The park also includes a large group shelter, flush toilets, drinking water, a playground, and a boat launch. From I-40, the park can be reached via Highway 53 north through Gainesboro and then east on Highway 135.

The Boils WMA offers a distinctive landscape experience. It provides access to Roaring River for fishing and swimming. At the entrance on Roaring River Road, a spring wells up from the ground into the river and appears to boil. The river areas, agricultural fields, and higher-elevation deciduous forests of the Boils WMA also offer opportunities for wildlife observation.

Washmorgan Hollow also has its own distinctive character. The natural area covers 73 acres; at its upper end, a year-round stream plunges over a waterfall. Blackburn Fork WMA encompasses 600 acres along the plateau and slopes of the Eastern Highland Rim in Jackson County. Cummins Falls, a 75-foot waterfall, is also located on the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River. The associated Cummins Falls State Park covers 282 acres and is located northwest of Cookeville in Jackson County.

Routes and Destinations on the Water

The Spring Creek and Roaring River Scenic Drive follows Spring Creek to its confluence with Roaring River. As the road enters the Spring Creek and Roaring River gorge, it becomes a gravel road. Take this change into account when planning your day. Families and friends gather at Salt Lick Creek for boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, hunting, and recreation in nature. Salt Lick Creek Campground is located on Cordell Hull Lake, 10 miles from Gainesboro, and offers 150 campsites, a large group shelter, and electrical hookups at all campsites.

Discover Granville and Gainesboro

Those who want to combine days in nature with culture will find a historical focus in Granville. From about 1831 to 1920, Granville was a thriving riverboat town. From March through December, a Historic Granville tour ticket includes a guided tour of Sutton Homestead and Pioneer Village, as well as self-guided visits to the other buildings and museums. The Granville Museum tells the town’s story through local homes, businesses, schools, and items from the community. Its genealogy center provides public access to family records and an extensive collection of photographs of families from the Jackson County, Tennessee, area.

The T. B. Sutton General Store serves breakfast from 8:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Every Saturday evening, the store hosts the Sutton Ole Time Music Hour with dinner and live performances by regional bluegrass bands. During festivals and special events, artists and craftspeople demonstrate traditional crafts in the Arts and Crafts Building of Pioneer Village. Another local tradition is the Poke Sallet Festival, which brings locals and visitors together in Jackson County every May.

Gainesboro is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Complementing this, Gainesboro Modern presents changing exhibitions in a small contemporary art space. The Granville Artisans' Gallery showcases handmade works by local craftspeople, including baskets, pottery, hand-forged ironwork, and woven textiles. At Roaring River Distillery, visitors can observe the distillation process and learn about it. The Mayberry-I Love Lucy Museum preserves rare and unusual artifacts that tell of a simpler time and are intended to entertain and educate present and future visitors.

Choose the Right Vacation Accommodation

When searching for a vacation apartment or vacation home in Jackson County, you can base your choice of accommodation on your planned travel profile. Those who prefer water and outdoor activities should include destinations along Roaring River, Cordell Hull Lake, and Salt Lick Creek in their plans. For days shaped by cultural history, Granville, Gainesboro, and the museums, galleries, and events there are the main focus. A varied trip combines both focuses without requiring every outing to have the same character.

More Destinations for Planning Your Trip

As your next point of reference, you can also view Whitleyville, Crockett County, Sequatchie County, Union County: Norris Lake, Nature, and a Vacation Base, Mcnairy County, Anderson, Carroll County, and Claiborne County.

For the overarching travel overview: Tennessee.