Paine Creek Falls is a waterfall on Paine Creek in Rhea County, Tennessee, in the Southwestern Appalachians region, with a total height of about 10 feet. It lies about 2.4 miles north of Dayton and roughly 34.5 miles north of East Chattanooga as the crow flies.
At 10 feet it is on the modest side for Tennessee, where the typical waterfall with a recorded height stands around 30 feet; it ranks 279th of 332.
The Southwestern Appalachians are the Cumberland Plateau and its escarpments, a sandstone tableland covered in oak and mixed mesophytic forest and cut by deep gorges. Creeks pour off the plateau rim over sandstone caprock into gorges, creating many tall, dramatic falls.
There are 14 recorded waterfalls in Rhea County. Laurel Falls, an 80-foot plunge waterfall, is about 1.3 miles away. Snow Falls, a 12-foot punchbowl waterfall, is about 1.6 miles away. Sale Creek Falls, a 40-foot horsetail waterfall, is about 1.9 miles away.
Paine Creek Falls is located at 35.5283° N, 85.0213° W. The listing is based on the World Waterfall Database, one of the sources compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey in its inventory of waterfalls and rapids of the conterminous United States. The creek name is confirmed against the federal Geographic Names Information System. The exact position has not yet been verified on aerial imagery, so treat the map pin as approximate. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.