Foster Falls Recreation Area
Sep 3rd, 2010 by Admin 1
Nearest Town: Tracy City, TN 
Directions: From Tracy City, take Hwy 150/US 41 South for about 6 miles, take right onto Foster Falls Rd. From Jasper, TN, take Hwy 150 North for about 9 miles, take left onto Foster Falls Rd.
Camping Fee: $16
No. of Sites: 26
Campsite Amenities: Concrete table, fire ring, lantern post
Campground amenities: Clean restrooms with flush toilets, running water, hot showers, water spigots
Earlier this summer we had to head to a higher elevation to escape the Georgia heat. We decided check out an area of Tennessee we haven’t spent a great deal of time in. We actually were going to check out Fall Creek Falls but didn’t like what we saw when we got there. We needed to find some place sort of close by so we ended up at Foster Falls by accident.
It was mid-week so the campground itself was almost empty. We had our choice of sites which were all spacious so even though the understory was sparse, it seemed like you would have a decent amount of privacy should the crowds descend. There are no tent pads. The entire site is gravel but it’s the bigger pointier gravel. We were told by the manager the next day that you don’t have to pitch your tent on the gravel, you can use the flat spaces in between the sites, but that would seem a little invasive if we had neighbors. We were discouraged to see that there are some street lights around the camp loop but they weren’t as annoying as we expected. We parked our truck in such a way to block out the extra light. It turned out to be a little comforting on our middle of the night potty run.
There is a trail that leads from the campground to a platform overlooking the falls and also gives access to a couple trails and the lower falls. We were able to enjoy the sunset from the platform on the first night. The next morning we really enjoyed the short hike down to the lower falls. It is a fun and beautiful descent on natural boulder stairs with a few wooden block stairs worked in the mix that ends with a swinging bridge across the creek. The large pool at the base of the falls was a great place for a refreshing swim on a hot day.
The next day we hiked the trail that takes you to the other rim of the waterfall where you can access the rock climbing area. It is a very popular spot for climbing. We saw several groups of climbers and it was a weekday.This is not really considered a loop trail but if you cut through the climbers’ access trail it does loop back down to the base of the falls which we took advantage of with another refreshing swim.
We enjoyed our stay at Foster Falls. There’s enough to do if you’re looking for a little R&R but if you get bored there are plenty of other attractions in the area such as Grundy Lakes State Park and Greeter Falls.
This looks like a great Family spot. Not too sure about setting the tent on and sleeeping on large gravel though. I guess a air mattress is a must?
Yeah, this is the kinda place you’ll want an air matress and all the other car camping goodies you don’t get to bring backpacking.