Savage Gulf State Park

Savage Gulf State Park – Palmer, TN

On January 14th, Jesse and I traveled to Palmer, Tennessee to hike at Savage Gulf State Park in Tennessee. From our house, we drove about two and a half hours to get to the East Trailhead of Savage Gulf. This entrance is one hour from Chattanooga.

This is a massive state park with four entrances! Savage Gulf park is in two Tennessee counties and is 19,000 acres with 60 miles of trails. We hiked at the East Trailhead which is located in Palmer. Savage Gulf was originally a state scientific natural area that was managed by South Cumberland State Park. In 2022, Savage Gulf became its own state park. It is the 57th state park.

The East Trailhead has a ranger station, bathrooms, and plenty of parking. There is also a picnic area with a grill. At the ranger station, there is WiFi. You can download the map for the park onto your phone from the Tennessee State Parks website. I suggest either doing this or taking screenshots of the map before you hike. We had no cell service our entire hike.

There is a clearly marked area next to the ranger station where the trails start. We hiked the Savage Falls Overlook trail. This trail is 1.5 miles to the waterfall and 1.5 miles back. The trail is clearly marked with white trail markers. Much of the trail is rooty and rocky, but it is not challenging. About 70% of the trail’s route follows clear creeks. We really enjoyed the two swinging bridges that crossed over the creek. As you walk along the creek, it starts to get really wide. Keep your eyes peeled for a sign that says “Old Moonshine Still Site.”

The main point of interest on this hike is Savage Falls. Savage Creek tumbles over massive rock cliffs and creates rapids for an AMAZING waterfall. This area was so pretty – it is hard to describe in writing. When we went on our hike, it was 22 degrees out. It was cool seeing branches stuck in the creek that had iced over. This region has also had a lot of rain recently, so the water was at the perfect level for the waterfall.

There will be a point when you reach the end of the white marked trail. Two signs will make a corner on the trail so that it looks like the trail is over. These signs look like this:

Walk past these signs! You can tell that there is still a trail past these signs even though they do not communicate that. This part of the trail is skinny and uneven, so please be cautious. But you will see a staircase. Go down the staircase and you will have an excellent view of the creek and the waterfall. It is so worth it!

When we came back up the staircase, we decided to continue on the trail to hike some of the south rim trail. However, we misinterpreted our map and went on the savage falls campsite trail. We do not recommend this hike extension (unless you are camping up there, of course!). Once you get past the campsites, there is an old service road, and then a sign that says “Area Closed.” Past that sign, the trail virtually disappears. Just go back the way you came!

This trail was awesome. We love a good winter hike, and this was a great one to do. We absolutely love our Georgia State Parks, however, Tennessee State Parks are on a whole different level. The terrain of the Cumberland Plateau, the forests, the elevations, and the size of these parks are just so different then what you find in Georgia. Taking a day trip to Tennessee is always worth it if it is for a hike. We can’t wait to go back to Savage Gulf and hike at a different trailhead!

After our below freezing hike, we were ready for a warm brewery and a good beer. The original plan was to go to Sequatchie Valley Brewing Company, which is just a 23 minute drive from Palmer in Dunlap, TN. However, I did not realize until after our hike that they are closed on Sundays. But no worries, because next time we go to Savage Gulf, this will be our after hike brewery! If you are in the area, definitely check them out! We ended up at Monkey Town Brewing in Chattanooga.

Happy Trails!
Katie & Jesse

Tips for Your Trip to Savage Gulf State Park

• You will most likely not have cell service at Savage Gulf. Take advantage of the wifi at the ranger station!
• Color blind viewer at scenic overlook
• SR – 111 has two scenic view pull offs. One overlooks the valley and has access to a color blind viewer that gives a chance to color blind people to see the amazing colors of the landscape (we love things that make the outdoors inclusive!). The other is alongside a rock cliff with a waterfall.
• Along the trail are markers for emergency situations. If you are lost, find the nearest tree with one of these numbered markers and call 911. However, these are not located off of the trail (from what we could tell). That is one more reason that it is important to stay on marked trails.

Savage Gulf East Trailhead (Savage Gulf Ranger Station)
3157 SR 399
Palmer, TN 37365 (Google Map)