The Savage Gulf Area

The Savage Gulf area of Tennessee’s South Cumberland includes the communities of Altamont, Beersheba Springs, Gruetli-Laager, Palmer and Coalmont. The area is named after the Savage family, one of the earliest European settlers of this area.

Savage Gulf State Park is best known for its three dramatic waterfalls, Greeter Falls, Suter Falls and Savage Falls, as well as numerous dramatic overlooks such as the Great Stone Door. Savage Gulf State Park has four trailheads, each providing access to one of these highlights.

There’s much more to see in the communities surrounding the state park:

Beersheba Springs, located along the Chickamauga Trace — a major trade and travel route for Native Americans — has an excellent historic district with a walking tour of the many Victorian-era homes built by wealthy Southerners both before and after the Civil War. The Beersheba Springs Inn was the centerpiece of this very popular 19th-Century resort for wealthy Southerners. Savage Gulf North Trailhead, which features the Great Stone Door and its overlook, is located here. Beersheba Springs is approximately 23 miles east of I-24 via Tennessee Routes 50 and 56.

Altamont is just six miles southwest of Beersheba Springs at the junction of Tennessee Routes 50 and 56. Savage Gulf West Trailhead, which features Greeter Falls, is located here. Altamont has several historic homes, including a log cabin thought to have served as the first county courthouse for Grundy County in the 1840s.

Coalmont, located between Altamont and Tracy City on Tennessee Route 56, has a rich coal mining history. Today, Coalmont is home to the Coalmont OHV Park, an off-road vehicle playground with 1,700 acres of OHV trails across varied, wooded terrain for all vehicle types and skill levels.

Gruetli-Laager, 5 miles east of Coalmont, was originally a colony for Swiss settlers looking for a better life in America. Today, the Stoker-Stampfli Farm & Museum provides a glimpse into their journey, and the challenges they faced once they arrived. Suter Falls, named for one of the Swiss pioneer families, is one of the many features you’ll find from Savage Gulf South Trailhead.

Palmer, 5 more miles to the southeast, is a former coal-mining town and now home to the Grundy County Coal Miners Museum. Savage Falls and some of the longer hiking trails in the State Park can be accessed from the Savage Gulf East Trailhead.