Blackburn Fork River is a river located in

Jackson County, Tennessee Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 11,617 at the 2020 census. Its county seat is Gainesboro. Jackson is part of the Cookeville Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Jackson County was cre ...

. It originates near

Cookeville, Tennessee Cookeville is the county seat and largest city of Putnam County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was reported to be 34,842. It is recognized as one of the country's Cookeville micropolitan area, mic ...

, and is a major

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Roaring River. It contains the seventy-five foot high waterfall, Cummins Falls, and runs within Cummins Falls State Park. Hiking, swimming, and fishing are popular activities on the river. The river's source is at the confluence of West Blackburn Fork Creek and East Blackburn Fork Creek, both of which are large creeks beginning in the north-central portion of Putnam County and end in Jackson County. East Blackburn Fork Creek drains northern portions of Cookeville and is crossed by Dodson Branch Road, while West Blackburn Fork Creek drains suburbs between Cookeville and Baxter and is crossed by Gainesboro Grade. Blackburn Fork is designated as a Tennessee State Scenic River, a title also belonging to

Spring Creek A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground Spring (hydrology), spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring cree ...

, the Roaring River's other major tributary. Shortly after the confluence of West and East Blackburn Fork Creek, the river is crossed by Cummins Mill Road (SR 477) and enters Cummins Falls State Park. The waterfall within this state park is popular for both tourists and regional visitors. Once the river leaves the park, it is paralleled by Blackburn Fork Road, a curvy and very narrow

chipseal Chipseal (also chip seal or chip and seal or spray seal) is a pavement surface treatment that combines one or more layers of asphalt with one or more layers of fine aggregate. In the United States, chipseals are typically used on rural roads c ...

ed road maintained by the Jackson County Highway Department. This road connects Cummins Mill Road at the state park to Dodson Branch Road east of

Gainesboro, Tennessee Gainesboro () is a town in and the county seat of Jackson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 920 at the 2020 census. Gainesboro is part of the Cookeville, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area. History The Gainesboro ...

along the Roaring River. Any travelers on Dodson Branch Road choosing this alternate route avoid the unincorporated town of Dodson Branch. However, usually only locals use the route unless travelers seek scenery due to the route being narrower and less direct; that being said, it still acts as a

collector road A collector road or distributor road is a low-to-moderate-capacity road which serves to move traffic from local streets to arterial roads. Unlike arterials, collector roads are designed to provide access to residential properties. Rarely, juris ...

in southeastern Jackson County.

References

Rivers of Tennessee {{Tennessee-river-stub