Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) officials Tuesday opened a new $2.4 million, 5,400-sq.-ft. visitors center at Cummins Falls State Park just north of Cookeville. The visitors center will have a spacious lobby with exhibits, gift shop, rentable conference room, two covered patios, restrooms, and staff offices. While the Tennessee General Assembly allocated $2.8 million for the project, the construction came in under budget at a cost of $2,435,354.34.
Cummins Falls State Park is a rugged 282-acre day-use park nine miles north of Cookeville by the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River on the Eastern Highland Rim. Located in the Cordell Hull Watershed, the area has been a scenic spot and swimming hole for residents of Jackson and Putnam counties for more than 100 years. Cummins Falls, 75 feet high, is Tennessee’s eighth largest waterfall in volume of water.
Visitors to the park are advised that Cummins Falls is a natural area with inherent safety risks. Getting to the waterfall involves strenuous physical activity, and access to the waterfall requires a gorge access permit. Gorge access permits are currently only issued on fair-weather days and can be purchased in advance on the Tennessee State Parks website for $6.
(Photo courtesy TDEC – Cummins Falls State Park opens a new visitors center. From left are Ashley Clark, park ranger; Brian Wilson, Tennessee Department of General Services; Jim Bryson, deputy commissioner, TDEC; Mayor Randy Heady, Jackson County; Rep. John Mark Windle; Commissioner David Salyers, TDEC; Ray Cutcher, park manager; Sen. Paul Bailey; Jordan Hunter, president, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce; and Rep. Ryan Williams.)