About this spot
Blue Hole Falls is a series of four cascades on a Holston Mountain tributary off Panhandle Road (FR 56) in Cherokee National Forest, reached by a short, easy 0.3–0.5 mile trail from a marked pull-off 0.9 miles up the gravel road. The main pool is a clear blue-green hole roughly 10–15 feet deep, with jumps off the top of the falls (~10 ft) and an upper-left cliff (~20 ft) documented across cliff-diving guides and hundreds of trip reports. The real hazard is submerged boulders and shallow shelves that shift with flow—verify depth and current before jumping, since flash floods and slick gorge rock have caused injuries. National forest land, free and open, no permit required, no lifeguard or cell service.
Safety first. Cliff jumping is inherently dangerous and can cause serious injury or death. Conditions — water depth, submerged hazards, and access — change constantly. CliffScout is community-sourced reference information, not a guarantee a spot is safe. Always assess the conditions yourself before jumping, and never jump where you're unsure. You assume all risk.
