Fall Creek Falls

Fall Creek Falls is often claimed to be the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi River, the tallest free-falling waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains, or some variant thereof, with a free-falling drop of 256 feet. We have been informed by a climber that the falls are however not nearly that tall, and have been measured with a free-fall of just 178 feet. Currently available Lidar-derived topographic models suggest a drop of 203 feet for the falls. Because the falls are not 100% truly vertical, and instead first roll over a domed protrusion of rock before transitioning to a free-fall, we suspect the measure of 178 feet only accounts for the truly free-falling part of the falls, and the measure of just over 200 feet is more accurate for the entire drop. The origin of the 256 foot measurement is unclear, but it may be related to the elevation change between the viewpoint for the falls and the bottom of the canyon.
It should be noted that even under the assumption that Fall Creek Falls has a drop of 256 feet, it is not the tallest waterfall in Tennessee, nor east of the Rockies. It may be the tallest free-falling waterfall in Tennessee, however given that its height is almost certainly over-reported by 50 feet, it is not likely to be the tallest free-falling waterfall east of the Rockies, and would be bested (upon proper confirmation) by at the very least New York State's 209-foot tall Taughannock Falls (but likely others as well).The USGS incorrectly labels the stream, park, and waterfall as Falls Creek Falls - the singular Fall is the correct title.