Here in Kentucky, we’re no stranger to great parks. Kentucky is home to 45 state parks, each offering a unique and unrivaled experience. Today, however, we’re playing favorites, and naming Cumberland Falls State Resort Park as the single best state park in Kentucky. This superlative superstar has it all: breathtaking scenery, amazing outdoor recreation, and some of the most incredible natural wonders in the Bluegrass State.

In terms of Kentucky State Parks, Cumberland Falls reigns supreme. It’s 1,657 acres of pure Bluegrass beauty, offering visitors an extraordinary park experience…

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Facebook

… and the extraordinary experience of Cumberland Falls begins with its accommodations. DuPont Lodge is one of the most beautiful park lodges in Kentucky, and you’ll be enchanted by its postcard-perfect charms.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Google Local

This is the Platonic ideal of cozy lodges; it features warm wood beams and paneling, as well as a stunning chandelier and massive stone fireplace.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Facebook

Of course, you can also choose to camp at Cumberland Falls; the state park has 50 gorgeous campsites, each with electric and water hookups – and sweeping scenic views.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Facebook

Like many other state parks in Kentucky, Cumberland Falls offers numerous guided hikes throughout the year. One of the favorites is a tour of the iconic Pinnacle Knob Fire Tower.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Facebook While you can always hike to the base of the tower, there are also tours that allow explorers to climb to the top! Be sure to follow Cumberland Falls on Facebook for upcoming tour dates.

In total, there are 12 hiking trails throughout the park, and they’ll take you past some truly remarkable rock formations, historic bridges, and other impressive natural features.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Google Local

In fact, the park is home to another incredible waterfall: Eagle Falls. The Eagle Falls Trail is an accessible and scenic trail that leads to a delightful, 44-foot fall.

Kentucky State Parks

But you’re looking for a big adventure in Kentucky, you’ll find it at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. Guided rafting, river tubing, and canoe trips are available, and for a thrilling expedition, you can go whitewater rafting right up to the falls!

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Google Local

Because, let’s face it: the eponymous Cumberland Falls really is the main attraction here.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Google Local Cumberland Falls – Kentucky’s “Niagara of the South” – is a majestic 68-foot waterfall on the Cumberland River.

It’s the second tallest waterfall in the state, but there’s nothing “second place” about this cascade.

seth mccowan/Google Local

Not only is Cumberland Falls an awe-inspiring force; it’s also the site of a rare natural phenomenon.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Facebook

Known as a “moonbow,” Cumberland Falls is one of the few places on the planet that regularly produces this prismatic phenomenon, created when light is refracted in the waterfall’s spraying water droplets.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Facebook The moonbow lingers above the falls for up to two days as long as the sky is clear, on either end of the full moon.

One of the most spectacular and accessible waterfall trails in the country, the Moonbow Trail is a Kentucky bucket list must – especially at nightfall!

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Google Local This is the equivalent of a Mother Nature mic drop, and something you’ll only find in Kentucky.

Do you agree with our pick for best state park in Kentucky? Have you visited Cumberland Falls before? Learn more about this dazzling treasure at the Kentucky State Parks website.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Facebook

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park/Google Local

While you can always hike to the base of the tower, there are also tours that allow explorers to climb to the top! Be sure to follow Cumberland Falls on Facebook for upcoming tour dates.

Kentucky State Parks

Cumberland Falls – Kentucky’s “Niagara of the South” – is a majestic 68-foot waterfall on the Cumberland River.

seth mccowan/Google Local

The moonbow lingers above the falls for up to two days as long as the sky is clear, on either end of the full moon.

This is the equivalent of a Mother Nature mic drop, and something you’ll only find in Kentucky.

Another Kentucky State Park we can’t get enough of is Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, a waterfront retreat you’ll want to visit again and again!

 

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Address: Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, 7351 KY-90, Corbin, KY 40701, USA