Cumberland Falls State Resort Park

We chose to drive the short 15 or so miles off I-​75 to stay at the Cumberland Falls State Park lodge instead of staying at a freeway motel and we were glad we did.
The lodge rooms are old and not up to date at all so be prepared because the lodge was built I think in the 40’s. But the trails and the patio with the view across the Cumberland river valley more than make up for it.
The staff is very sweet and friendly. There is an onsite restaurant (no alcohol) and we found the food to be homemade and VERY good.
We hiked the Eagle Falls trail which I highly recommend. Its about a 2hour fairly strenuous hike with some climbing over rocks and a lot of up and down but the views were worth it! There is a museum and a swimming pool too but it was closed because it was still off season. I think off season is the best because I was told it can get very crowded in the summer. In April it was hot but not overwhelming and it was quiet and peaceful.
Tip # 1. The getaway package is a great deal. We got overnight stay and breakfast, lunch and dinner for 2 people all inclusive for $ 155.
Tip#2. Pack some wine and cheese and enjoy sunset on the patio overlooking the river valley.

This park, as well as all the Kentucky State Parks, is a very nice place to stay. We enjoy staying at this one during the «off season» as the rates are very reasonable. The rooms and cabins are very clean and well kept and the service by the staff is very good. We have tried to catch a moonbow for years as supposedly they are only seen here during the full moon. We missed it this time but, we’ll continue to try again. The grounds are well manicured and great for walking around. And it is a must to sit on the back deck and see the views and watch the birds. Of course make sure you drive down and see the Falls. When the river is really flowing they are just beautiful. There are a number of photo ops you can’t miss.

Came to see the falls. Stayed the night in the lodge (comfy cozy). Bought post cards at the front desk to send home (so few pages have post cards anymore!). Ate dinner here last night (companion had Kentucky Hot, I had for sides/​veggies. Both of us were stuffed.) Also had lunch here today (special of grilled cheese and Chili). The food is surprisingly inexpensive with HUGE portions.
The staff have all been lovely. The Lodge and dining hall are musts if you find yourself out this way!
The park and gorgeous nature speak for themselves. Excellent examples of Mama Nature’s exquisite taste.

Each time that I visit, I continue to be amazed by the 125-​foot wide curtain of water that we call Cumberland Falls. As a matter of fact, when I went to Niagara Falls I wasn’t impressed. I mean, they charged me to see something that I’ve seen all of my life, practically in my backyard… yeah, I drove hours to Niagara to be disappointed.
I’ve been to the Cumberland Falls countless times and I’ve never witnessed the moonbow! But it’s only at night during a full moon that you can see the moonbow, a phenomenon not found anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere. You will have to read other reviews to learn more about the moonbow though.
Are you looking to hike? The trails are so plentiful that I had to research… here is what I found:
— Laurel Trail — 0.25 mi
— Moonbow Trail — 10.8 mi
— Cumberland River Trail — 5 mi
— Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial Trail — 1 mi
— Campers Path — 0.5 mi
— Cumberland Falls Trail — 0.5 mi
— Rockhouse Trail — 0.5 mi
— Trail #8 — 0.25 mi
— Eagle Falls Trail — 1.5 mi
— Blue Bend Loop — 4.5 mi
— Anvil Branch Trail — 2.5 mi
— Wildflower Loop — 1.25 mi

If you are in Kentucky, make the trek out the Cumberland Falls.
The Niagra of the south truly is a beautiful place. The falls are surprisingly large There are many trails and vantage points surrounding the falls, and it is clearly marked as to what is and what isn’t accessible.
There is a small pavillion with a snack shop, bathrooms, and activities for kids (for a small fee you can buy a container of mining sluice and utilize the panning set up outside.)
I spent a couple hours wandering around and snapping photos. Quite a serene place, but be careful, its buggy and muggy there.

This place is great! We visited the Lake Cumberland region in November over Thanksgiving. The whole region was very spread out, with not a whole lot to do. I’m glad we took the time to come here. The waterfall was huge! I saw reviews calling this the Niagara of the south, and expected something much smaller.
Lots of fun hiking trails around here. We also visited a smaller, but equally impressive waterfall on another hike in the park. I recommend that one too!

Great hiking trails. Beautiful forest. So peaceful and relaxing! Can’t wait to go back.

So we all know the falls is spectacular. What I didn’t know before I came here a second time was that it was filled with warm, friendly staff. They helped my friend who was doing a non-​profiting educational project in the area by bringing staff out to take part in it (several employees at a time were sent by their supervisor to help us). And afterwards gave us free drinks! Such a fun day. A wedding was also going on that day so we were able to experience that in front of the falls. The park is always so beautiful and well kept so it’s no wonder the bride a groom chose to have their big day there! Later on that weekend, my friends got to catch the rare moon bow making the weekend complete. Ladies and Gentlemen, if you didn’t know already, Kentucky is where it’s at. Come see the beauty and experience the hospitality!

First off, the place is set in one of natures best attractions, a huge waterfall! You can here it from quite a ways off! The buildings were built before most hotels and the people reviewing them. Which means you devices and cell phones may not work well or at all in someplaces. This means no wireless internet, well in «woodland rooms» or small one room cabins. But really you are in middle of no where, why do you really need to know what’s trending?!
Anyway, the woodland room was nice cozy cabin with a microwave and mini-​fridge. The room was a little bigger than standard hotel. The Cabin had real windows that open on both sides for a nice cool breezes and nature sounds for great sleep. There is a hike trail about twenty-​five feet away but I never heard any voices from people. You split a building as two units are back to back. You are in a group of about 20 units so during busy times, parking maybe an issue if you stay out or arrive late. But youe may have to go 100 ft extra.
The gift shop is very small at the falls, or about half mile away. Do not attempt to ask for food ideas, they will tell you only the lodge and then say they bring their own food. Service outside of lodge, not as good! But with AAA rate, this was $ 155 for two nights!

The falls are stunning. The litter is a travesty and made my family distressed. The trail to Eagle Falls was enjoyable but difficult for my youngest (5).

always a great time. see the moonbow if possible, although after five minutes the magic somewhat dies down. lots of litter around viewing areas should be addressed. great beach area with lots of huge boulders to climb, even with kids.

Absolutely serene. Beautiful park with water falls that leaves you breathless~!
I would love to be here for the moonbow! (a rainbow, that’s beautifully created by the mixture of the waterfall spray and the moonlight).

I am from a town nearby and have been visiting this park since I was a little boy. The park has seen quite a few changes over the years, but the facilities are stuck in time. It is funny how people will speak negatively to that here, at a humble state park. To me that is part of the charm. Anyway, the facilities are aged. Keep that in mind.
As for the falls, it goes from powerful (as it is right now) to pretty (when the river is lower). The trail to Eagle falls on the McCreary County side of the river was voted the Best Hiking Trail in Kentucky recently. They have smartly placed a banner there to brag a bit. You should hike it if you are in reasonable shape. Back in the day you had to scramble down a cliff with cables and over boulders to get to the falls. These days the access and trail markings make it easy. The views of the main falls from this trail are better than the ones across the river on the Whitley County side at the main viewing areas.
The real highlight of the park is the forestation and geographic/​geologic features. There are 12 numbered and named trails in the park. You can put together many loop routes and get a nice workout while seeing spectacular cliffs, boulders, river views, groves of Hemlock, reentrants filled with rhododendron, plenty of hardwoods, wildlife including deer and black bear, etc etc. The best time to hike is fall through early spring, when the bugs, ticks, and snakes are missing.

We were just passing through the area and stopped here. I loved it. The gift shop is nice and there is an ample parking area. As mentioned by others it is free. Very easy trails around the falls area give you different perspectives. Beautiful waterfall. We saw groups on rafts paddling out to the bottom of the falls. Some of them would go right up to the splash and mist and get soaked. It was fun to listen to all the screams and was a good photo op with the colorful rafts all lined up down the river. I thought if we ever come back it may be fun to try that. I found a pamphlet later in the day that listed the activity for $ 12 through a nearby outfitters shop.
I highly recommend stopping by here if you are nearby!!!

This park is absolutely gorgeous. We’ve been here a few times over the years and some of my very favorite photographs have been taken here. The falls are beautiful and they say you can actually see a moonbow late at night at some times of the year! I highly recommend you check out this state park.
Last night we had dinner at the Riverview Restaurant at the Dupont Lodge. We loved how the windows look over the river and there are raccoons playing just outside the window that you can watch– very entertaining. The view is amazing from inside the restaurant and also out on the terrace.
The dinner was good. They have a menu and also a buffet. We went with friends and all had the buffet which was $ 13.99 per person. The buffet was very clean and people were cleaning it and refilling it regularly. The salad bar had a great selection and it was very good. They also had soup and then hot items. Last night they had frog legs (my husband tried them for the first time ever– they seemed very popular but I don’t think they were his thing), catfish, pecan chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, roasted vegetables, broccoli casserole and rolls.
They had an impressive dessert buffet too with homemade pie slices, cherry cobbler and apple cobbler (they ran out and didn’t replace it which was disappointing), carrot cake, ice cream with toppings and then my husband’s highlight of his meal– the banana pudding.
Service was good and it seems like a popular place to eat. A very nice restaurant.

If you’re in the neighborhood or passing by, this is definitely worth pit stop, free! Gorgeous falls, a pretty easy hike to various view points. There is also a gift shop /​café, and also a lovely old lodge from way back when. No really internet 3G/​4G in this area though so make sure to bring your TomTom. New mining activity for kids, looked fun.

Free, gorgeous and open late? Yeah. Legit. Amazing gift shop with tons of local products and Ale 8 One. Badabing. This place never gets old. Best place to take a date, ever.

3 ½ stars for the cottage accommodations. 4 stars for the scenic hikes :) We rented a cottage for the weekend with another family. 4 adults, 2 toddlers. The cottage had 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, full kitchen, living room. Our baby cried at night, and our friends did not hear her. The walls/​doors are sufficiently insulated. We were also nicely pleased because the cottage was reasonably clean and very spacious. Good location. We hiked Eagle Falls, the Wildflower trail hike and the hike up to pinnacle fire toward. Peak leave season, and a nice sunny mid-50’s weekend. Really could not ask for much more. Split between the 2 families, each family ended up paying a grand total of $ 190/​each for 2 nights. We brought out own food, so I can’t comments on the restaurants. Next time, I think we will try to schedule it when there will possibly be a moonbow!

If we could give half stars, I’d rate it 2 ½, rather than «poor.» It’s badly in need of updating and renovation, and the accommodations in the lodge building definitely reflect the WPA era more than a modern chain hotel. The rooms are quite small and a little shabby (though the bathrooms are decently updated). The beds are definitely in need of replacing.
But there’s an amazing view from the back deck that makes you feel like you’re in the treetops. If you’re into activities, they have a lot to offer.
So it really depends on your priorities. Since we stayed only one night and really just wanted to see the falls for an afternoon, we ended up thinking that we probably didn’t need to stay there overnight.
Had we known about the restaurant, we probably would have brought our own food from Corbin and had a picnic on the deck. But once you finally make it to the Lodge for the night, you’re not going to want to turn around drive into town for dinner (not that there’s tons of options in Corbin, either). That’s one of the biggest drawbacks. They have a captive audience and the restaurant is really sub-​par. Seeing the warnings about the buffet, we each had the catfish, which was actually okay (so if you’re stuck there, I’d recommend it).
We also ate breakfast there because there’s really nothing else for miles unless you are headed back into Corbin. The breakfast buffet was really sad, so once again, we ordered off the menu, hoping for better results. I had a veggie omelet that was actually not bad, though the potatoes are clearly straight from a bag in the freezer. My mom’s scrambled eggs were dry and most likely just scooped from the buffet. The coffee is quite weak.
Clearly there’s no interest in improving this place, which is a shame because there are some easy fixes, starting with the restaurant. Get Kitchen Nightmares in there, stat! They need a wake up call about FRESH FOOD. Also, why not have a bar (or coffee or sandwich bar) on the deck? They already have tables and chairs and a crowd of people. They’re missing a big opportunity there.

This is one of the few places in the world, & the only place in this hemisphere where when it’s a full moon, you may be able to see a moonbow. The falls are breathtaking, & the park is fabulous. On our first trip there, while I was gasping @ the majesty of the falls, my son said «hey look dad, snails». It’s very scenic, & worth the trip.