Cumberland Falls

In May while driving home from the Carolinas and the Smokies we decided to drive by Cumberland Falls.  It had been a while since we'd been there and we knew that it would be a good break for the kids to walk around in the middle of a driving day.

In 1933 the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had 136 young men working at the falls to improve the park. They constructed DuPont Lodge and fifteen cabins for visitors, along with campsites, picnic areas, roads and trails. The lodge had 26 rooms with a lounge two-stories high replete with a huge stone fireplace. A fire destroyed DuPont Lodge on April 5, 1940. Park authorities constructed a new lodge in 1941. Fires destroyed the old Cumberland Fall Hotel in 1947 and in 1949 the Moonbow Inn also burned. Throughout the remainder of the twentieth century, the Kentucky parks system carried out extensive improvements. The park has a museum that has Indian artifacts. All types of seasonal recreational activities take place at the park. However, the greatest attraction is the thundering waters of Cumberland Falls. The falls are 65 feet high and 125 feet wide. When the Cumberland River is at flood stage the width of the falls can quickly expand to 300 feet.
--from Cumberland Falls State Park website

There is a decent amount of infrastructure at the falls including a gift shop, a small museum, and nearby places to stay.

There is an area where you can walk out on to the rock above the falls and get a look at the river before it thunders over the edge.

 From up above you can at least see a rainbow, event if you cannot see the entire breadth of the falls.

 Walking down this path will take you around a corner to an overview where you can get a better view.

 I've gotten my best pictures of Cumberland Falls from this spot.

 While looking at some plants I spotted this critter.

 We headed down this trail further away from the falls.

 Eventually we got to a point where we could walk down to a huge sandy patch by the water.  Obviously this area gets flooded frequently as it was full of driftwood.

 The kids really enjoyed playing in the sand.

 Someday I'd like to go to Cumberland Falls at night during a full moon to try and see a moonbow.

You'll find a few other pictures from our visit in this album.

~Matt