Gorgeous Frozen Waterfalls In Tennessee That Must Be Seen To Be Believed

Tennessee is located in the southern region of the United States, which means it doesn’t get TOO crazy chilly during the wintertime. It gets cold, of course – but freezing? That’s a little harder to come by. You have to turn to East Tennessee and the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains to find a frozen bit of wilderness – and we did. There are only two waterfalls that “freeze over” during the wintertime, and we’ve dug up a couple shots of each – we’re pretty proud of ’em.

Tim Lumley - Flickr

Here you can see Fall Creek Falls + Coon Falls during the autumn - a very, very cold autumn. The leaves are changing color and the area surrounding the waterfall begins to chill and freeze.

Tim Lumley - Flickr

And once we hit the dead of winter, the whole place becomes a winter wonderland. As the highest waterfall in the eastern US, Fall Creek Falls lives up to its title by staying beautiful and majestic at all times of the year.

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Andrew Tyson Thomson Photography - Flickr

Here, you can see that Silk Creek Falls has pretty much frozen over entirely. It is also located in Fall Creek Falls State Park, which gives it a leg up when it comes to freezing during the wintertime.

Andrew Tyson Thomson Photography - Flickr

Here you can see the frozen intricacies involved with the Silk Creek Falls.

Tim Lumley - Flickr

How does a waterfall freeze over, you may ask? Well, it takes a lot, which is why Tennessee doesn't have a lot of examples. Moving water is much harder to freeze than still water because the physics of standing water and the kind that rushes and gushes and falls are A LOT different.

Tim Lumley - Flickr

Frozen water forms from the slowing of molecules, sluggish in the cold and sticking together. Solid particles of "frazil ice" clump together when they come into contact with each other, and will clump onto anything else they touch. Eventually, the frazil ice will build up and form an anchor, one that will grow and, if the weather stays chilly enough, stretch the entire length of the waterfall.

Smuzz - Flickr

Crazy stuff, right? It takes awhile, but once the waterfall finally freezes, it's absolute beauty. Have you ever seen one of these stunning sights in Tennessee?

Interesting, right? Who knew it took so much to freeze a waterfall? If you’re looking for some more wonderful things to do in Tennessee, check out the ultimate bucket list!