Bald River Falls
Tennessee · height not recorded · Bald River Gorge Wilderness · Last verified 2026-05-15
Flow at Bald River Falls is 51 cfs today, around its seasonal average.
Expect dry conditions today — don't drive out for this one. Flow is at 51.5 cfs (bottom 0% of the last 30 days, vs. 82.6 cfs average). The 7-day NOAA forecast shows no significant rain.
Right now
Streamflow
50.5 cfs
TELLICO RIVER AT TELLICO · 1h ago
Today
70°F
Sunny
Tonight
45°F
Mostly Clear
Today's daylight
Sunrise 6:51 AM · Sunset 5:50 PM · 10h 59m
Snapshot built 16m ago. Sources: USGS · NWS MRX.
Bald River Falls is a waterfall in Monroe County, Tennessee. Height has not been officially recorded. Access details and conditions have not yet been verified in person by Fallspots — the data on this page comes from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Bald River Falls sits in Monroe County, Tennessee. The falls are inside Bald River Gorge Wilderness. The base sits at roughly 1,528 feet of elevation. Drive time is about 11 minutes from Tellico Plains. A trail — Bald River Trail - NFS #88 — runs within 40 meters of the marked location. It draws modest visitor attention — busier weekends, quiet weekdays. Source records come from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Entry is free. Dogs on leash are welcome on the access trail.
Is the water flowing right now?
Most waterfall sites don't tell you this. The waterfall itself is almost never gauged, but a USGS streamgage in the same watershed can tell you whether snowmelt has started, peaked, or run dry.
USGS gage 03518500 · 6.3 mi away
TELLICO RIVER AT TELLICO PLAINS, TN
View live discharge data →
30-day streamflow
Below 30-day average↻ Same date last year: 53.4 cfs · 96% of last year — similar
When to go (from the climate data, not our opinion)
Monthly averages from Open-Meteo's reanalysis dataset (2020–2024). Highlighted months are when we think the waterfall is at its best — but the numbers are the numbers regardless.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip (in) | Snow days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 34 | 5.3 | 4 |
| Feb | 56 | 38 | 6.1 | 3.2 |
| Mar | 63 | 44 | 5.8 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 68 | 48 | 4 | 0.4 |
| May | 76 | 57 | 5 | 0 |
| Jun | 84 | 65 | 3.4 | 0 |
| Jul | 87 | 69 | 5.1 | 0 |
| Aug | 85 | 68 | 5.4 | 0 |
| Sep | 79 | 61 | 4.4 | 0 |
| Oct | 71 | 53 | 3.1 | 0 |
| Nov | 61 | 43 | 2.8 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 54 | 38 | 4.1 | 2.6 |
Source: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API · ERA5 reanalysis 2020–2024.
Compare to nearby falls
If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.
| Waterfall | Distance | Height | Trail | Dogs | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bald River Falls (this page) | — | — | — | Y | Free |
| Baby Falls | 0 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
| Falls Branch Falls | 7 mi | 98 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Tellico Falls | 9 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
| Blue Boar Falls | 10 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Hooper Falls | 10 mi | — | — | — | — |
Questions visitors ask about Bald River Falls
Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.
Is Bald River Falls in a national or state park?
Yes — Bald River Falls is inside Bald River Gorge Wilderness. We inferred this from OpenStreetMap protected-area polygons; if you find we got the boundary wrong, please report it. See the park page for fees, hours, and current conditions.
Can I bring my dog to Bald River Falls?
Yes — dogs are allowed (Bald River Gorge Wilderness permits leashed dogs in most areas). Inferred from park type; check the official site for trail-specific restrictions. Always leash and pack out waste.
Is there a fee to visit Bald River Falls?
No entrance fee. Bald River Gorge Wilderness is free to access. Some trailheads may charge a parking fee separately.
How far is Bald River Falls from a major city?
Bald River Falls is 7 miles from Tellico Plains (about 11 minutes' drive).
More waterfalls in Tennessee
Where it is
35.3243, -84.1778
Sources and live status
Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.
Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-05-15
Been there?
Marina and Theo verify pages one road trip at a time. If you've been to Bald River Falls recently, your local knowledge improves the page for everyone. Pick the kind of contribution that fits — every email lands in our inbox and gets read (and credited when we publish).
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