Backbone Branch Cascade is a waterfall on Backbone Branch in Johnson County, Tennessee, in the Blue Ridge region, with a total height of about 10 feet. It lies about 8.5 miles north of Mountain City and roughly 35.5 miles northeast of Johnson City 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 water comes down as a cascade, descending over a series of rock steps rather than in a single drop.
The Blue Ridge is the highest part of the southern Appalachians, a range of forested peaks and coves with oak, hickory, tulip poplar and hemlock and spruce-fir on the summits, in one of the wettest climates in the East. Steep mountain streams drop over granite, gneiss and quartzite ledges, giving the region hundreds of waterfalls.
There are 4 recorded waterfalls in Johnson County. Backbone Falls, a 40-foot horsetail waterfall, is under a mile away. Big Rock Falls, a 6-foot block waterfall, is about 4.7 miles away across the state line in Virginia. Straight Branch Falls, a 20-foot horsetail waterfall, is about 6.7 miles away across the state line in Virginia.
Backbone Branch Cascade is located at 36.5973° N, 81.8207° 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.