Two years ago, on the occasion of our 20th anniversary, my husband and I visited Cumberland Falls State Resort Park near Corbin, Kentucky. Cumberland Falls is located in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Known as the “Niagara of the South,” the waterfall forms a 125 foot wide curtain that plunges 60 feet into a boulder-strewn gorge below. The mist of Cumberland Falls creates a unique phenomenon called the moonbow, which appears only during a full moon. This is the only lunar rainbow that appears in the western hemisphere.
Visitors may stay at the DuPont Lodge, in the Woodland Rooms or cottages, or on the campground, which contains 50 sites with electric and water hookups. The central service building has restrooms, showers, a small grocery, and a dump station. The campground is open from April 1 to October 1, but the lodge and cottages are available year-round. Reservations may be made for the lodge and cottages, but not for the campground.
The resort has 17 miles of nature trails, and the Moonbow Trail connects with many backpacking trails in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The Cumberland River offers fishing opportunities, and guided white water rafting trips are offered daily, May to October. Guided horseback trail rides are also available from Memorial Day to Labor Day. There are a dining room, meeting rooms, and a museum in the lodge, and gift and coffee shops in the falls area. Interpretive programs focusing on native plants, animals, and local history are conducted under the direction of a full-time recreational specialist. Tennis, shuffleboard, and horseshoes are available in the court near the lodge, and the park also contains an Olympic sized pool, picnic areas, and playgrounds.
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful natural area. The trails are spectacular, but be aware that the area is very hilly and rugged. There are stone steps built into the steep places of the trails, but expect to do a lot of climbing, both up and down, if you plan to hike the trails. For those who aren’t quite up to that much exertion, roads reach all areas of the park, and it is only a very short walk from the falls parking lot to the falls themselves. We were not there during the moonbow date for the month we visited, and we are planning to visit the falls again this year, this time with our boys, and this time during the moonbow, which I plan to photograph. When we get back, I’ll post a photo of the moonbow. For now, here is a photo I took of the falls on our 1999 trip.
Kentucky was suffering a severe drought the summer we were there, and the water level of the Cumberland River was very low, so the falls was also not as spectacular as it usually is. However, we felt that the trails alone were well worth the visit, even without the falls. Most of my trail photos are too dark to scan well to post here, but I have a much better camera now, and I expect to have some really good ones to post after this trip. Here’s one for now:
Contact information:
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
7351 Highway 90
Corbin, KY 40701-8814
Phone: (606) 528-4121
Toll-free reservations: (800) 325-0063 http://www.kystateparks.com/agencies/parks/cumbfal2.htm
Moonbow dates for the remainder of this year (the moonbow is visible for 2 days before and after the full moon):
May. 5-9
Jun. 3-7
Jul. 3-7
Aug. 2-6, 31
Sep. 1-4, 30
Oct. 1-4, 30-31
Nov. 1-3, 28-30
Dec. 1-2, 28-31
Campground rates are $14 per night for 2 persons, $1 additional for each extra person over 16. Seniors 62 and over and disabled persons receive a 10% discount. Primitive sites are also available for a fee of $8.50 for 2, $1 extra for additional campers over 16. Kentucky former POW’s may camp free of charge.
Rates for the lodge, Woodland Rooms, and cottages vary by season, and may be found on the park’s website. There are also fees for the pool, horseback rides, and rafting trips.
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The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.
