Kentucky's Cumberland Falls State Park

Cumberland Falls state park is located in southern Kentucky not far from the Kentucky-Tennessee border. Like the Red River Gorge it's part of the Daniel Boone National Forest. Since this is a state resort park, there are lots of buildings and cabins. A couple areas within the resort have been reserved for camping but camping on the trails themselves has been prohibited.

There are several waterfalls in the area though only two are immediately accessible from the resort unless you're willing to drive a bit. Of course, the resort gets its name from the Cumberland Falls, a large waterfall on the Cumberland river. Normally 125 feet wide, its width can increase to 300 feet at flood stage and it varies from 45 to around 70 feet high depending on the height of the pool below the falls. Cumberland Falls is one of only two places in the world (and the only one in the western hemisphere) where you can see a moonbow.

The trails in the area are generally geared towards tourists so they tend to be short and intertwined. Unfortunately, they're not as varied as the trails in the Red River Gorge where trails can range from wet, almost marsh-like treks through mud as gooey as axel grease to dry, sandy, almost desert-like paths. The pictures here were taken in early November and cover portions of trails #1, 7, 11, 2, 5, and 4.

Interesting note: The Sheltowee Trace trail (also called the Daniel Boone Trail) is a long trail extending from Tennessee to eastern Kentucky. It passes through the Cumberland Falls area, coinciding with trail #1. It also passes through the heart of the Red River Gorge where it coincides with parts of Rough Trail among others.


Map of the Region


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