Tennessee's Laid-Back City With Small-Town Charm Boasts A Beautiful Waterfall Park And Comfort Food

Tennessee has many hidden gems, like a rooftop country bar dedicated to the iconic Dolly Parton in Nashville. Also located in the state, Murfreesboro is a youthful and artsy city with southern charm just south of Nashville. If you drive north, you will also find Lafayette, a little town off the beaten track close to the Kentucky border.

Lafayette was established in 1843 and named after the Marquis de LaFayette, the French Revolutionary War hero. It's currently the county seat of Macon County. According to the 2023 census, just under 6,000 people call Lafayette home. It's a small place with a big personality worthy of a visit for its natural beauty and cute downtown. Nearby, Winding Stairs Park is a hidden gem with gorgeous hiking trails. Downtown Lafayette also has delicious eateries and nostalgic charms to explore.

The best time to visit Lafayette is in the spring or fall when the temperatures are cooler. However, if you want to partake in waterfall chasing in Winding Stairs Park, summer is the best time to go. At just over an hour's drive from Nashville via US-31E N (or 60.6 miles), it's easy to go to Lafayette for a day trip. If you want to stay overnight, consider Hearthstone Inn, which is close to most of Lafayette's attractions. However, for a cozier stay, we recommend the County Colonial Retreat, a charming and spacious holiday house in Red Boiling Spring — a mere 15-minute drive (or 11.8 miles) from Lafayette.

The entrance to Winding Stairs Park is a 3-minute drive (1.3 miles) from Lafayette. The park and the trails are entirely maintained by Friends of Winding Stairs, a community of enthusiastic volunteers who act as custodians of this beautiful piece of land. Inside, there are several ways to explore the park. 

One way is the All Trails' Winding Stairs Loop, a 1.6-mile loop of meandering steps made of railroad ties that take you down to the valley. The temperature will cool as you descend, which is a pleasant surprise in the hot summer months. When you reach the bottom, you will find a stunning curtain-like waterfall. The water trickles down cascading limestone with verdant ferns thriving between the layers. This is a moderately challenging hike as the winding stairs are steep and take approximately an hour to complete depending on your fitness level.

If you're feeling adventurous, we recommend hiking the other trails in the park: Red Oak, Milk Pail, Cascade, Jacob's Ladder, and Southern Cascade. The trails are marked and easy to navigate. Along the way, you'll find trickling creeks, lush vegetation, and more waterfalls. The scenery is peaceful and serene, but watch out for snakes. There are some strenuous sections of the trail, especially around Jacob's Ladder, where the climb is tough but worth the effort. As you climb up the paved Cascade Trail, stop by the West Overlook and take a selfie for conquering a challenging hike. Traversing all the trails is around 5 miles and takes about three hours to finish.

Feeling famished after your epic hike? There is plenty of good food in Lafayette. Gibson's Cafe is housed in one of the last brick buildings in Lafayette, which is made with locally fired bricks. It initially served as the Macon County Post Office. You can still find the post office vault inside the restaurant while you enjoy their Philly cheese steak and a slice of carrot cake. Craving Mexican food? Head to Agave Restaurant, which boasts Mexican grub with a Louisiana flair. Order the Chimichanga with BBQ brisket and wash it down with a frozen margarita. For homestyle Southern cooking, go to Christine's Kitchen for some good old-fashioned meatloaf.

Another fun thing to do in Lafayette is catching a flick at The Macon Drive-In. Going to the drive-in was popular in the U.S. from the 1950s to the 1980s. At its peak, there were 4,600 locations around the country. Now, with only a few hundred left, drive-ins have become a relic. Luckily, you can relive the nostalgic past by driving you and your sweetie (or family and friends) and enjoying a movie together in Lafayette. It's an affordable date or family night — at $6 per adult (10 & up), $3 per child, and children 4 and under enter for free. Check the Macon Drive-In Facebook page for the most updated showtimes.

From hiking to movies, Lafayette, Tennessee, offers a wide range of activities sure to keep you entertained. Can't get enough hiking near charming small towns? Head over to the Great Smoky National Park on the other side of the state for Tennessee's best mountain towns for peaceful hiking trails.