Window Cliffs State Natural Area facts for kids

The Window Cliffs State Natural Area is a special place in Putnam County, Tennessee, close to Cookeville. It covers about 275 acres (111 hectares) of land. This area is famous for its amazing natural bridges, which are like giant windows carved into the rock. These 'Window Cliffs' are part of a tall, narrow ridge that sits in a bend of Cane Creek.

You can only reach this beautiful spot by hiking a trail that is about 2.7 miles (4.3 kilometers) long. The Window Cliffs were a very popular place to visit in the 1800s and early 1900s. Today, the area is home to several rare plants that are protected by the state. It is also one of Tennessee's newest State Natural Areas.

Geology: How the Cliffs Formed

The rocks you see at Window Cliffs mostly belong to something called the Fort Payne Formation. These rocks were formed a very long time ago, during the Mississippian period.

The Fort Payne rocks are very strong and don't wear away easily. They act like a hard cap on top of the land, helping to create the steep cliffs and valleys you see. These rocks are made of a type of stone called silicastone, along with smaller amounts of other materials like siltstone and limestone. They also contain hard lumps of chert.

Below the Fort Payne rocks, there is a layer of dark, thin rock called Chattanooga Shale. This shale is about 8 meters (26 feet) thick. Even deeper, you'll find the Leipers Limestone and Catheys Formation rocks. These rocks are made of different kinds of limestone and can be up to 45 meters (148 feet) thick. You can see these layers at the bottom of the slopes and on the valley floor in the stream areas.

Biology: Plants and Trees

Scientists from Tennessee Tech worked with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) in 2016 to study all the plants at Window Cliffs.

The best parts of the forest here have oak and hickory trees on the higher ground. In the sheltered valleys, you can find American beech and eastern hemlock trees.

Rare Plants

The cliffs are home to a very special grass called plains muhly. This grass grows in clumps and is very rare in Tennessee. It's usually found in the shortgrass prairies of central Canada and the central United States.

Another unique tree found at the base of the cliffs is the white cedar. While it's common in eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S., it's quite rare in Tennessee. These plants are like living reminders of a time when the climate here was cooler and drier, similar to the last ice age.

Access: How to Visit

To get to Window Cliffs, you need to hike a trail. The starting point for the trail and the parking area are at the end of Old Cane Creek Road. The address is 8400 Old Cane Creek Road Baxter, Tennessee.

The trail from the parking area to the Window Cliffs is about 2.7 miles (4.3 kilometers) one way. Along the way, you will cross Cane Creek ten times! It's important to know that crossing the creek can be very hard or even impossible when the water is high. Always check the conditions before you go.

History: A Look Back in Time

In the early 1800s, a French naturalist named Charles Alexandre Lesueur visited this area. He called it "Cane Creek Bluff." You can even see his drawing of the cliffs in a museum in Le Havre, France, today!

In the late 1800s, the area was a large enough community to have its own post office. The Window Cliffs were also featured in a story called "Jack and the Mountain Pink" in a magazine called Harper’s Weekly in 1881.

The Land Trust for Tennessee bought this natural area from different private owners between 2013 and 2015. The Land Trust then gave the land to the state of Tennessee. The site is now managed by Burgess Falls State Natural Area/State Park. Window Cliffs officially opened to the public on April 7, 2017.