About this spot
Frozen Head State Park, Wartburg TN (964 Flat Fork Rd); free state park entry. Reached via the Panther Branch/Flat Fork Trail, an easy roughly 2.4 to 2.5 mile round trip that passes Debord Falls first. Emory Gap Falls is a series of small cascades with about a 19-foot freefall (roughly 23 feet to the splash pool) on Flat Fork creek. Multiple guides describe it as a popular picnicking and swimming stop with clear, cold mountain water. The hazard that matters is slick rock around the plunge pool and cold water even in summer, with no lifeguards present. Swimming and wading are permitted within this day-use state park area; no jumping culture is documented, and the modest drop and shallow approach make it better suited to wading than jumping.
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.