Rock Island State Park (Tennessee)

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Rock Island State Park, located at Rock Island, between McMinnville and Sparta, is a state park in central Tennessee, USA. Situated at the confluence of the Collins and Caney Fork Rivers, the park's most prominent feature is the Great Falls created from the Collins River feading into the gorge overlook. Over the course of time, these falls have carved out a sizeable gorge from the limestone. This gorge provides scenic overlooks, smaller waterfalls, and many deep pools. The park's 883 acres (3.6 km²) contain many other attractions, including a natural sand beach on Center Hill Lake, a 19th Century textile mill, and one of Tennessee's earliest hydroelectric plants. Center Hill Lake and the dam at Rock Island are formed by three rivers: the Caney Fork River, the Collins River, and the Rocky River.

Kayakers know this park for its excellent playboating. Below Great Falls Dam is a series of rapids with a well-known, constant, retentive "hole" that allows playboaters to hone their whitewater kayaking skills, riding the wave, spinning, rolling and performing other tricks. The nearby town of Rock Island, TN, is home of Jackson Kayaks, a manufacturer of whitewater kayaks. Eric Jackson is a champion freestyle (playboating) kayaker.

This area was used for a considerable number of exterior shots and stunts in the 1994 Sylvester Stallone film, The Specialist.