Cumberland Falls State Park, eastern Kentucky
June 12, 2003    Based on ky’s (friend and hairdresser) recommendation, we decided to go to Cumberland Falls State Park in Kentucky. We arrived early afternoon, set up and set off for the falls. You reach the falls by a short walk down the path from the Visitor’s Center and you can view them from several vantage points. The falls are 125 feet across and 68 feet high. The Cumberland River was high and the falls were flowing, at almost full force. The limestone base has been eroding away, and many years ago, the falls were miles downstream. Years from now the river will erode away more of the riverbed and the falls will move again. RV trip photo: Cumberland Falls State Park - Cumberland River
Cumberland River
RV trip photo: Cumberland Falls State Park - Cumberland Falls RV trip photo: Cumberland Falls State Park - Cumberland Falls RV trip photo: Cumberland Falls State Park - Ellen at Cumberland Falls
Cumberland Falls Ellen in front of Cumberland Falls
We went to the other side of the river and hiked to Eagle Falls which flows into the river below Cumberland Falls. The trail snakes through the forest and ends at the bottom of a steel staircase. Beautiful! RV trip photo: Cumberland Falls State Park - Along Eagle Falls trail RV trip photo: Cumberland Falls State Park - Cumberland Falls from Eagle Falls trail RV trip photo: Cumberland Falls State Park - Eagle Falls
Along Eagle Falls trail Cumberland Falls from Eagle Falls trail Eagle Falls
RV trip photo: Cumberland Falls State Park - Spotted Wintergreen along Eagle Falls trail RV trip photo: Cumberland Falls State Park - Along Eagle Falls trail There are these tiny blue butterflies that flit around and congregate together in moist areas. It appears that they are getting salt or other minerals. One even landed on me and stayed awhile as I was sweaty from hiking. RV trip photo: Cumberland Falls State Park - Butterflies along Eagle Falls trail
Spotted Wintergreen Along Eagle Falls trail Tiny butterflies
Cumberland Falls is one of the few places in the world and the only place in the Western Hemisphere that a moonbow appears. As luck would have it, June 12 is the beginning of a five day period around the full moon when the moonbow should be visible. We were advised that 10 to 10:30 would be optimum viewing time. The skies were clear during the day, but began to cloud over in the early evening. We headed down to the Falls about 9:45. The moon was rising, but clouds were floating in an out. It wasn’t long before the moon was covered and the clouds filled the sky. No moonbow. And the clouds eventually gave way to rain…again.

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