Quick Facts
Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 68′ / 21 m
Length of Hike: 0.2 miles / 0.3 km round-trip
The Record
Cumberland Falls is most famously known for being one of the few places on the planet where one can likely see a moonbow. I had never really heard of a moonbow before this, but it’s essentially a rainbow created by the moon. I have to admit that the moonbow isn’t something that excites me, as the conditions have to be nearly perfect to see the moonbow. Maybe it’s something you have to experience in person to really appreciate, and it’s only observable a few nights each month.
For the rest of us, or those who don’t care if the moonbow is present or not, Cumberland Falls is still a spectacular waterfall to visit. It falls into the category of one of those waterfalls with enough volume of water plunging over every second that it’s purely amazing. Visiting in December, when the recently fallen snow had actually melted, likely increased the volume of water, which I’m guessing might be lower in the depths of summer, at least in some years. In spring, the waterfall didn’t seem as “wild” as it was in winter.
There are numerous other waterfalls nearby, including Eagle Falls. This requires a 2-mile round-trip hike that I just didn’t have enough time to complete on the sunlight-deprived winter day. There is another way to view Eagle Falls that I’ll post about separately. As you’re exploring the multiple different viewpoints for Cumberland Falls, be on the lookout for ephemeral waterfalls plunging into the Cumberland River. I saw it in December, but the waterfall was not present in May.
Directions
- There are multiple ways to get to Cumberland Falls, which is found in a park along KY-90. I took a roundabout way to get there, but the easiest way is most likely to exit I-75 and head west on KY-90 to the park, which is pretty clearly signed.
- Park in the parking area that leads directly to the falls.
Waterfall Record 
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