The success of your visit to Fall Creek Falls State Park may well be determined before you ever arrive at the park. What you have led your group to expect has a big impact on what they will get from their visit.
The different programs that you will participate in at the park can be used to accentuate your classroom studies. History, geology, and ecology are areas that will be covered in park programs to enhance your classroom work. It is best for you to lay out study modules that integrate your trip to Fall Creek Falls with your classroom work. For instance, you may wish to concentrate on the formation of the Cumberland Plateau and the types of rock located here in your geology classes, or study the Native Americans and early settlers of the area in your social studies classes.
Physical conditioning is an aspect that also needs to be considered. Your group will be taking part in strenuous hikes, so you may want them to try some day hikes in the school area. If no local park exists in your area, then perhaps a spirited hike around the school, or some stamina building exercises in P.E. would start them in the conditioning process. At least suggest to students that they participate in some sort of physical activity during their free time. Also, suggest a balanced diet. Carbonated beverages inhibit the body's ability to absorb oxygen by dropping the pH of the blood. Please encourage your students to avoid these during hikes and other physical activities. A great degree of attention is given to the safety and well being of our participants, and education is the focus of the trip; therefore, a physically and mentally prepared group will get the most out of their Fall Creek Falls experience. We understand that different students will have different physical limitations, and do not expect every student to be able to participate in every activity. We do our best to accommodate the needs of our participants and provide an educational experience for all students.
Most Educators prepare their students for a trip to Fall Creek Falls as a learning experience. Some, however, use the trip as a reward for study at school, or time away from school. Groups will probably have less interest in the educational programs presented if they are here just for fun. Sometimes the lack of interest can present control problems. If you have geared your students up for a "just for fun" trip, let us know so that we can adjust the programs accordingly. We plan our programs to be intellectual and mentally challenging, so let us know if you wish to do team building, nature games, or other activities that are less academic.
For your trip to Fall Creek Falls to be successful, we hope you will start planning in advance. We feel that the students will get the most out of their trip, if some of the subjects we cover have been integrated into the classroom.
Remember that the teachers/chaperones have an abundance of work ahead of them. The more chaperones you bring, the easier it is to control the mass of students; however, any parents acting as chaperones need to understand that their child will be treated equally to all other students. Sometimes parents will give in to their own child's complaints, and excuse them from programs. Although there are circumstances where this is appropriate, this situation may spread rapidly through the group, which causes many children miss out on programs. You will be responsible for one of the nightly activities, free time between programs, serving food, caring for the students during the night, preparing them each day for activities, and caring for the lodge during your stay. We also insist that at least one chaperone travels with each group on every program. Our program staff functions as guides only; they do not normally engage in disciplinary action.
Are you prepared for Fall Creek?
Pre-Departure Checklist
- Make Reservations at (423) 881-5708
- Send in a completed registration form
- Mail in your two hundred dollar deposit with your tax-exempt form from your school
- Develop schedule with environmental education coordinator.
- Read and Review the Ed. Center Guide with adults and students.
- Arrange transportation
- Collect appropriate forms from students: Fall Creek Health History form, permission slips, etc.
- Discuss with students about what to bring and not to bring – plan for the weather
- Appoint an adult in charge of distributing any medications
- Gather lesson material and supplies
- Bring your check and your bill sheet to settle payments with the Park
Figure Your Bill
For a standard 2 ½ - day stay, your cost will be:
- $66 per student (includes meals, programs, and lodging)
- $40 per teacher or chaperone (charged for meals only)
- Double these figures for a 5 - day stay.
An itemized Bill Sheet can be e-mailed to you if you have Microsoft Excel. If your trip is customized in any way, the cost can be changed and clearly explained with that sheet. We must receive payment in two separate checks. One goes to Fall Creek Falls Inn for meals, the other goes to Fall Creek Falls E. E. Center for programs and lodging.
*Note for Small Groups: You must have 30 students to meet the minimum cost of $150 per night for Lodge 2, and 40 students to meet the minimum cost of $200 per night for Lodge 1. We welcome smaller groups, but there will be an additional charge to cover lodging for these groups.
Example: A group of 35 students staying in Lodge 1 at $5.00 per student per night is $175 per night. The minimum usage fee for that lodge is $200 per night. Therefore, this group will have to pay an additional $50.
*Note for Large Groups: Any group over 70 total people will have transportation difficulties. We usually have 2 vans that will carry 14 children at a time. We may only carry 14 passengers in a van at one time. If you have a large group, please encourage your chaperones to come prepared to help with transportation of students to the cave and to the Nature Center. If you cannot aid in transportation, we can shuttle students with multiple van trips, but that will cut into program time. Transportation assistance is greatly appreciated.
We understand that some students might become ill or have other obligations. Schools will be given a 5% differential. We need an absolute accurate count two weeks before your arrival. It is your responsibility to contact our E.E. Center Coordinator if your numbers change.
