Day trips from Nashville · Hiking
Window Cliffs
72 miles from downtown Nashville · about 1 hour 20 minutes
Window Cliffs State Natural Area, Putnam County, near Baxter, TN
Window Cliffs is a ridge above Cane Creek where erosion has cut natural windows straight through the rock. The trail crosses the creek eighteen times to get there, which tells you most of what you need to know.
- Trail
- 2.7 miles one way, 5.4 round trip
- Difficulty
- Difficult to strenuous
- Time
- 2.5 to 3 hours
- Creek crossings
- 18
Permits, fees and access
Free, and subject to closure due to flooding. Check for active alerts before you drive, because this one closes often.
One thing to know first
Eighteen creek crossings means wet feet on the best day and an impassable trail after rain. It is eight miles from Burgess Falls but the two are not connected by trail, so do not plan to walk between them.
Access rules, fees and closures verified August 15, 2026 against the agency that manages this place. They change, sometimes without notice. Check before you drive.
I keep this list because it is genuinely how people spend weekends here, and because almost every guide to it is out of date. If you are weighing a move to Middle Tennessee and want to know which part of it puts you closest to the things you actually like, ask me. No pitch.